Custody
by The Inked Pen
Summary: Alex is MIA and declared dead. Tom Harris and his wife, Elle, gain custody over Alex's children, two sons and three daughters, as they uncover the mystery that is Alex Rider and learn to deal with the kids. includes K-unit. Please R&R I tried for spelling and grammar. -formerly writer2be14
1. last day of school and a new begining

**Special thanks to Fate's silver chain for making sure that my writing was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (love saying that!)**

**And stormbreaker0100 for all that encouragement!**

**Made a couple changes thanks to J'aime Lire, love the name and thanks!**

**Year 9=age 13-14, grade equivalent of eight graders**

**180cm=roughly 6 foot**

* * *

Tom Harris' Point of View:

Thomas 'Tom' Harris or Mr. Harris to his students was with his year nines enjoying the last period with the rowdy teens. Before gratefully getting them off his back, and rid of them for the summer holiday. Tom jumped when the old antique intercom noisily buzzed to life. It was a small town where most of the school community lived in the area. Meaning a lot of the students and teachers knew each other on a day-to-day basis, from the occasional meeting at the cinema or market. "Umm..Tom there's a woman here with five kids demanding to see you," stated Anna. A rather nervous girl who worked in the office both nervously and quickly.

"Ummm...Anna... What? Wait... what do you mean?…five kids…what?… Anna!" Tom stuttered yelling fruitlessly to the intercom on the wall while the more loud and outgoing children in his class cooed. Most of the calls followed the same line of "Ooohhh, Mr. Harris's lady friend wants to talk."

But all those coo's and calls stopped when a strict woman strode in. Tom watched as she took in her bearings; a small classroom with twenty one desks crammed in side. Her look was full of disdain, as if a dump had more class and was a better and more suitable place that she sould be. She wore a pinstripe suit and pencil skirt that looked as if they had been personally tailored for her tall and severe figure.

"Are you Tomas," she asked in a clipped tone as if she had tried, unsucessfully to mask her hate of the surroundings. "Are you Thomas Antony Harris?" she repeated to Tom's momentarial silance as if he couldn't hear her the first time. Or maybe she just thouth that years of teaching had wearied away his hearing and dulled his thoughts.

She addressed him professionally, appearing to pause for Tom's quick nod of assent before continuing, "Please join me outside your..." she paused and observed the dingy and stuffy room with a healthy amount of distaste. "classroom."

She said it not as a simple. 'please join me outside for a simple cuppa tea,' but a 'Join me outside, NOW.' An order.

Tom had no choice but to follow her. But not before making sure that the class was tied down with a suitable about of work to keep them busy. The alternative reason for the vast amount of worksheets was to turn the complaints to another cause and hopefully they would miss or excuse his absence.

She opened an empty classroom and heald the door open as if _she _was welcoming him into_ her _'territory'. Her heels clopping ageist the tiled floor.

Five children stood absent mindedly amuseing themselves at the head desk. They were playing with, Tom's college, Mr. Gevia's trinkets given as gifts from past students. The tallest at the least 180 cm tall,with an athletic demeanor and broad chest. He reminded Tom to Alex. His child hood mate. Not by the build of the body, but with those chocolate-brown eyes and fair hair that fell carelessly in his eyes.

The second tallest was another boy, who was more skinny and would have looked possibly even more like Alex, had it not been for the wavy but, neat chestnut-brown hair and less athletic look. The boy looked like he spent a day to many on his computer and had pulled a couple of all nighters the last past days. Tom could tell this from the looks on his students on Monday mornings, with shadows under their usually bright and energized, eyes. From hours on their electronics.

Tom was wishing that he wasn't having hallucinations about his old friend. He rarely thought about the blonde spy but when he did a stone seemed to settle and burrow its self deep into the tissue. He had only seen Alex a few hand full of times after their teenage years when Alex moved in with Sara or something Please. Sarri Please? Tom couldn't remember.

The third was a girl who had identical hair to the former boy, that was being pulled into a tight, but messy, high pony tail. That made her hazel eyes, similar to the former, seem to pop and be all the more haunting in the dim natural afternoon light in the classroom.

The next girl was roughly the same size as the previous girl. She look like the mischievous type with hair that Tom guessed would be exactly like the previous' had it not been cropped down into a pixie cut. Tom could immediately tell that these two girls were twins by their bone structure and eyes. The only real difference was the fact of the hair.

The last was a young girl who looked about 11 with collar bone length, fair locks that were held in two low pigtails, her eyes brown and a similar version of Alex's but as a girl. But Tom's evaluations on the children were cut short when the woman opened her brief case that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. "Hello, Alexander John Rider has been MIA for several months and presumed dead by his superiors."

Tom could feel his blood running cold. Alex was dead?! The woman paused for a second before introducing herself, "I am Teresa King, executor of Alexander John Rider last will and testament."

"To Tom, I leave you custody of my children and 10,000 pounds in advance for anything they wreck, break or need, and 1,000 personally for you. Do you remember when you visited me in America when I and Sab were dating? And you had that huge cup of hot chocolate that was chock full of sugar and that made you go hyper for a week, and I wouldn't tell you what it was called? Well now that I'm dead and I don't have to deal with you bouncing up and down and basically annihilating my flat, the brand was 'Swiss Miss'. But here's the kicker; its only sold in America. Thanks mate."

As Miss King finished her reading Tom felt despair in the pit of his stomach and tears well up in his eyes. Alex was gone for good. After all those assassinations attempts and massacres that he had survived; he was gone. His child hood friend was gone. There was one less spy in the world. But more importantly the was a large abundance of Alex Riders in the world.

"I will leave you now. Any questions please call. I will leave my card. I am sorry to say that you missed the funeral. The children will be delivered to your door later in the day. Good day." With that the woman stalked out the kids trailing behind.

xxx

Jamie's Point of View: *

James Jamie Cunningham was a good deal surprised when a posh and high woman came in to the dreary English class room on the end of term. He was even more surprised when he found out that his minimum wage English teacher was a whole lot richer then Gary Olmas, a wealthy attention seeking prick that had recently transfered to privet school(good he had thought i could do without knowing egoistic people like him), in just one hour. Although that was the bits and pieces that he had picked up from the last minuet rumors.

Jamie had always imagined last minute wealth to come from a game show or something along similar lines. Apparently it could also come from dead people.

Soon the bell rang and Jamie gathered up all his stuff and kept Mr. Harris's 'possible' situation in his mind for a future dinner discussions.

xxx

As he walked out the door and passed an year eight classroom, Jamie turned and took one look at the old run down classroom and saw a thirty nine year old, full grown man that had just apperently, acording to Jamie's 'reliable' become a good deal richer, crying.

xxx

When he mentioned that part to his older sister Jennet, she rolled her eyes and slapped him upside the head * calling him a tactless idiot.

xxx

He later shock off the guilt, and continued to gossip to his parents about it, since he had lost his phone and email privileges after TP-ing an elderly woman's house, and had no way to contact his friends, he needed someone to spread the new found news too. They gave him about the same response except excluding the idiot part of the phrase and a 2 hour lecture about the immportance of privicy that was already starting to dull in Jamies head.

* * *

***James is a minor OC, and the 'slap upside the head' is the Gibbs slap if anyones seen NCIS.**

**question of the chapter: who is Alex's godfathe, what did he do to Alex's parents and what did Yassen do to him?**

**-Rrit**


	2. names, age and hobbies

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. It maybe a bit tiring in the beginning so if it helps just start in the middle. Just hang on in there, it will get better. (hopefully) **

**Paternal-family on dad's side**

**Maternal-family on Mum's side**

* * *

Tom and his wife Michelle or Elle stared at the five children or, to be more precise**, **teens, that were currently squashed with elbows in each other's faces and miscellaneous limbs scattered on the small living room sofa that had a maximum capacity of three people; that fact being over looked at the moment. "So… what are your names again?"Asked Elle, trying to start a conversation but not knowing what to make of the situation.

Her husband comes home just moments before five random children are dumped on her door step. What was any sane housewife to make of it?

The tallest spoke up, "I'm John James Rider, I like to play rugby, I'm also eighteen."

"You're legally an adult, why are you here?" questioned Elle. It was a relevant question, why was the boy in her house when he obviously wanted to be anywhere else. Unknown by her, it was at that moment that Tom wished he had a roll of duct tape handy.

"Because Dad wanted me to be," Was his curt and rough reply. Surplussing Elle with the steel in the words. Apparently a touchy topic. Elle could see from his point of view and his unease but her motto was and would always be, 'talk it out or just forget it.'

"Alright, you?" Elle mentioned to the next teen, who was also a boy; she tried to seem not fazed at all by her tactless question earlier. From the look in her husband's eye she was doing a good job.

"I'm Ian Jeffery Rider, I'm sixteen." He kept his answer short. It was clear that he didn't wan't to talk at all but didn't want to offend her.

"My names Jackie" said a girl with pixie cut hair without even waiting to be prompted by Elle, "I'm fourteen and a twin, I love to organize stuff." Helen's response was longer then her brother's but, too, cut short.

"Lo, I'm Helen, also fourteen and Jackie's Twin, duh." This girl was much more perky weather a facade, genetic or just the girl being herself. "Dad says-" she cut off with a broken expression on her face and even Elle knew that she should get to the last girl and child quickly.

The loss cheerful girl's aura seemed to drain out everyone else's leaving an awkward silence.

"Hey sweetie, what's your name?" asked Elle gently to the youngest.

xxx

Tom's Point of View:

"Lanie like my Mummy's Mum. Where's Daddy? Why are we here?" Tom couldn't help but wince at the innocent child's questions; he hated to crush her little bubble of ignorance, so he paraphrased his answer to her question. "Your daddy's on vacation, he'll be back soon." No reason to possibly scar the young girl, so young in age.

The sugar-coated response was melted by a soft "Oh, he goes on those a lot. He probably got hit by a big stick again."

"So what do you like to do?" asked Elle to the sandwiched teens, probity and most likely, feeling the awkward silence, but not knowing what else to say.

"Sports/prank/read/ I don't know" was the answers that the couple received back, all being said at the same time. The end result was a sound that had a weird likeness to a honey badger's growl.

"So… John, you like to prank?" asked Elle guessing, and Tom was about to correct her but before he could Helen, answered for him "No,"; Tom could tell that she was mediator, the peace keeper of the newly orphaned children. "Jackie likes to…. Prank," Helen said in a strangled voice, she had obviously been an earlier victim of Jackie's shenanigans. "Harmless –most of the time," Helen continued, before her voice broke, "Dad used to –does love it. She turned to her older brother for conformation "The more mess the better is her motto."

Jackie made a show of avoiding her glaze at the most likely true accusation, shamelessly replied "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Helen rolled her hazel eyes obviously not believing the lie. "Any ways, John plays football and rugby," She looked or, better phrased, said the last sport with a good bit of disgust and disdain, although her tone suggested that the disgust that she held, was reserved for the 'barbaric' as she would later describe it, sport, and that she loved her brother never the less, and that no matter what hobbies he would uptake.

"What about you Ian, you haven't said much?" Elle tried to prompt an answer out of the stubborn kid.

But Ian stared at the floor with a burning lazer-eye intensity. Tom was afraid that the plush carpet would lite.

Then the tension rose. Tom had sensed that it had always been there just covered up by awkward conversations. He almost wanted to run to the kitchen to get a butter knife to see if he could cut through it, but he suppressed the wacky urges and turned to Elle.

"It's been a long day, why don't we show them where they'll be sleeping." Pleading with his eyes, hoping that she would comply and not ask any awkward questions about their dad.

Elle hopefully got the silent message. "Alright, come on you lot, off to bed." The teens stared at her blankly before she added "I'll show you,"

She rose to her feet but not before clasping a hand on his shoulder and saying in a low whisper, "That's a lot of money their Dad gave for anything they demolish. Any ideas why that it?"

"I don't know."

But truthfully he did, he had received another note shortly after his class left. Addressed strictly to him, it explained the children's hobbies and what accidents.

John sometimes brought football and rugby inside and that would commonly result in a good number of broken flower pots and vases.

Ian likes to create computer programs and he apparently dabbled in hacking, sometimes into secure facilities that lead to computer crashes that lead to angry and frustrated fits that lead to broken objects; he relaxed and consoled himself by extreme makeovers and cleaning.

Helen was good but did have a habit of ridiculing her sibling and had taken on a motherly role when their mother had died.

Jackie's prank sometimes got out of proportion, and cleaning up was more often than not, difficult; a good way to calm her down was maths.

Lanie currently had no destruction issues. Tom doubted that that would last.

Tom felt his wife's grip tighten, they would talk later. She would make sure of it. His white lies were not helping his cause.

xxx

Elle's Point of View:

Elle was a smart woman, she had been to a good and respectable Uni, her husband was not telling her the whole truth, she could have skinned him right then and there but she was reasonable.

She shrugged off her thoughts and concentrated on climbing the stairs.

Elle had the two boys sleep in their son Aiden's room and prayed desperately that that when the young thirteen year old woke up that he wouldn't mistake the robbers or something of the like and attack the boys. She knew that the two boys would probably be fine but the older of the two looked like he would crush the thirteen year olds small frame.

The change in custody irked Elle; she remembered Alex even though it had only been a short five minuet visit. He had, in all honesty creeped her out with his haunted look, but she let it be and refrained from hitting the creepy guy with a baseball bat and ordering him out her house for Tom's sake. Tom's sake and the fact that, she guessed that her overly bubbly and _slightly _annoying, even Elle had to admit, friend Sabina, that they visited every July 4th in America. So she agreed to take in the kids.

"Girls, wait down stairs, I'll be back in a moment." she called from the top of the staircase, blocking John and Ian's way up not wanting the boys anywhere near her china alone. She waited for the three mumbled replies of "sure" before she moved herded the boys through the hallway.

"Alright, wall you two boys will be rooming with my son Aidan. I'm sorry but I didn't prepare any cots, but there are a few sleeping bags in the closet." She eyed the two boys, with what she hoped was a harsh glare, "He doesn't know about you two and I don't want to wake him up at the moment, so be ready and excuse his reaction in the morning- it comes from being his Dad's son."

The boys said nothing but John gave a sharp nod and Ian made a feeble attempt at a smile. The two looked so depressed that even Elle couldn't help but feel some remorse for them. They were just orphaned, but all the same gave them what she hoped was a harsh yet resolved glare, and said "Okay, now sleep." She didn't want half-awake zombie boys in the morning.

She eyed them once more before setting off down the stairs.

xxx

Tom's Point of View:

He saw his wife open her mouth again with another inquiry and Tom braced himself for the worst of her wrath. "And what about that HUGE sum of money that Alex left to you, neither of us ever have to work again, heck our kids are never going to have to lift a finger because they'll be so much left over after we die! Where do you even get that type of money? When I saw all the zero's I felt faint!-"

Tom could have let his wife rant on for another hour or so but he decided it would be best to stop her there, but he had to admit when he had seen the check he had felt the same way and was still half in a daze from the earlier events of the hectic day. "Alex...worked at a bank...as an overseas manager..." Tom said going with the standard protocol response, but when he say the disbelieving look on Elle's face he immediately tweaked his answer to something only marginally more believable than his first answer, "for the government..There is a slight danger and life risk so there is a higher pay..."

He trailed off and Elle looked only slightly turned by the excuse but she never the less pursed her lips and seemed to be mauling it over mentally debating its reality.

"Alright. fine, whatever, what's done is done, but your sleeping on the couch tonight" she finally said acting as if the whole transfer was his fault and she was being a generous nerogater and promptly ignored her husband's meek protests on the closed subject, while getting up to go upstairs to help their new 'daughters'.

xxx

Elle's Point of View:

That was a huge sum that they had inherited from Tom's child hood friend. What normal person has that kind of money? At first she had assumed that Alex was really an heir or something of the like who Tom had met on coincidence.

A government employee that worked as overseas bank manager at a death risk for the GOVERNMENT? It was hardly a secret that the government employed jobs were all low paying except maybe for being a spy like James Bond. Tom's friend a spy, Elle had met Alex and Alex was always so worn out, it was laughable. But a small part of her mind argued 'but he is really physically fit and attractive, it's a possibility'.

Shaking her head, it was a stupid idea. As if.

Elle herded the girls up to the guest room before leaving them for the night. She had a lot to think about.

* * *

**Question of the chapter: what two primary colors are violet made of?**

**Answer to last question: ASH; blew up Alex's parents plane, killing them; Yassen stabbed him.**

**Thanks to fate's silver chain! :) for being an AWESOME BETA!**

_**thanks to anyone who has Reviewed, fallowed or favorited me or my story, it really means alot. i love hearing your feedback. i don't mind flames if they actually TELL me what i did wrong so i could improve and make it better. **_

**Sorry about all the POV changes.**

**-Rrit**


	3. john's flashback and mystery guys

**Thank you so much to anyone who is following this story! ...but please review, reviews just make my day. :D**

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* * *

John:

To be honest, John was so relieved when the woman, Ellie, left and began her decent back to the girls. She was gone, finally. She was always glaring at him as if he would track down her mother and beat her up. And the way she cautiously talked about her son, jeez, it was as if he was going to murder the kid in his sleep! The woman even had the nerve to ask what he was doing here after the letter said exactly that. Somewhere in the back of John's mind he knew that the reasons were legit and reasonable, but had she ever heard of a thing called tact?

John knew that he was over reacting, but at the moment he didn't care.

He made his way roughly to the closet, only partly visible through the dim light cast by the full moon. He grabbed the metal handles and opened the closet door, letting it swing to bang against the wall. He would probably get lectured about this and the new faint marks from the handles left as residue on the wall behind the newly adjacent doors sometime in the morning, but at the moment he didn't care. He could feel the frustration and drowsiness fighting to take over. It had been ever since this morning.

~FLASH BACK~ FLASH BACK~ FLASH BACK~ FLASH BACK~ FLASH BACK~ FLASH BACK~

John woke to hard and determined knocking on the door, Helen's yelling through the door loud and clear; and she calls him obnoxious in the mornings. "John, get the stupid door already!"

"Ding-dong, ding-dong" looks like the person at the doors discovered their door bell. Joy.

John pulled himself out of the warm comfort of his own bed and into the hallway. Since they didn't bother to wait a couple of hours and come back at a reasonable hour, he doesn't bother to dress. Growling, he swung the door open, expecting a smiley little Girl Scout wanting him to buy cookies that were chock full of calories. But the sight that greeted him wasn't a pint-sized girl in a cute little outfit, with an big unreal smile plastered on their faces. No, staring uncomfortably back at John was a full-blown, burly man, who was, from the looks of it, not much older than himself, John had to suppress a smile, at the man's expression that was slowly returning to what John assumed was 'normal'. Apparently he had been expecting Helen. He was suddenly missing the easily distracted preppy girl to this random mystery man.

"Yes? Can I help you?" asked John irritated to be up at what he considered as an ungodly hour.

"Are you John James Rider?'

"Yes," John growled, getting even more irritated by the moment. The man's unapparent patience and consideration for sensible visiting times was only making it worse.

"Are all your siblings home?"

"…yes. Why?" John was suddenly wary of the overly muscled man, frowning at him openly.

"Good, if I could come in-" The man never waited for an answer before moving to come inside the door way, turning to his side to evade John, but John noticed and step sided to be toe to toe, nose to nose, with the man.

John swallowed and cleared his voice. "I said, why?" He repeated more forcefully.

The man looked up and stared at John for the longest time before saying his short five word answer that changed John James Rider's life and turned his world upside down.

"Alex Rider is MIA."

Anthony Bass:

**(Also Known as the 'mystery man' so happily explained by John, also as Tony. this is an OC but this is his only planned appearance, just like Jamie)**

As a child Tony was always large, but not necessarily in a good way. It was only at age 19 that Tony really did start to think of his health and started up a regularly visit to the local recreation center gym.

Two years had then gone by and before he knew it, he was now working for the government. He never had been in particularly hard or life threatening situations as he had only been on a total of 2 minor missions.

Today at 4:15 sharp he was called into Royal and General Bank; when he arrived, his mission controller Aggie gave him the babysitting- sorry, escort job and received the mission file to prove it.

At first he had hoped that it would be an undercover job escorting a princess or something of the like and her siblings across a border to take back their kingdom and that the file had been a fake given to him to make sure that he wouldn't know, but then they would eventually trust him and they would all have a big heart to heart moment, where they would reveal their identities and a sibling would then turn out to be an enemies' son or daughter turned good. Although, really the more he thought about that theory the more he doubted its reality.

He admittedly grumbled all the way to the small house at the end of a cul-de-sac or, as he less politely referred to it as, a dead-end, not in the spotlight of the judgmental public.

The exterior was nice, clean of clutter and mess that Tony rarely saw at a childs residence.

"Ding-dong Ding-dong" he rang the door bell, nervously waiting for a response.

He could faintly hear a female voice shout, and prepared himself for the worst.

Apparently the worst was a grumpy guy in his twenties.

"Can I help you?"

Oh, he sounded irritated- must not be a morning person. Anthony couldn't blame him; it was too early for any sensible being to be up.

Anthony bit his tongue for a millisecond before politely asking for name conformation.

The guy or 'John's' as Anthony remembered from the file, mood was so not improving. So Anthony decided to wrap it up and deliver the message and get on to escorting.

"Are all your siblings home?" Anthony inquired

The answer to that question was slow. Either John was just slow reacting or he was reluctant to answer. Anthony guessed the latter choice, but then again, to the kid, or more appropriately adult, he was the stranger. Tony himself would have slammed the door shut and locked it by now in the kids place, back to the door dialing 999.

"Good," said Tony, hopefully in what he considered his 'soothingly' voice, "If I could come in-,"

Before waiting for an answer Tony stepped up to walk inside and turned to his side to slide past, but he was blocked by the man.

"I said, why?" John asked once more with more command and force.

Tony let out a breath before speaking. "Alex Rider is MIA."

The man had a sharp intake of breath at the sound of his father's name and situation status, before an apparent change of heart and mind, turning and leading Tony willingly inside.

The interior was freakishly clean, and he heard the newly orphaned boy mutter "Stupid Ian and stress" underneath his breath when he bumped into a magazine rack. He quickly recovered and offering Tony a seat on the beautifully furnished chair, before taking a seat on a couch that was of the same nature across Anthony's chair.

* * *

**Sorry for spelling, as you can see that isn't my high point and strength in writing.**

**Question of the chapter: how many AR books are out there officially? **

**R **

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**V **

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**I**

**W **

**! **

**P**

**L **

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**A**

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**Thanks! Pls review, its healthy for you!**


	4. Ian and Tom design couch

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Tom: 

Tom awoke to "Don't you worry child" by Swedish House Mafia. The high point of teaching teens was that you eventually gained a large, less than stellar and improper slang and vocabulary and an inventory of popular artists and songs. The music was blasting on high somewhere in the background; not a pleasant way to start his morning.

"Whaaa…."

Suddenly all the events of yesterday came rushing back to him. Alex was gone. He was rich. He had been banned from the bed that he shared with his wife by Elle and condemned to stiff necks and unpleasant awakenings on the couch. He had kids… well…more kids that is.

He sighed in anticipation, what did life have in store for him next, the ex-poor humble teacher?

Tom sat upright on the couch with his feet planted firmly on the carpeted floor of the living room that gave the illusion that he was standing on a very shaggy short haired dog. He immediately was missing the polished wood of his bed room as he took in his bearings. Outside it was still dark so it must have been before 6 in the morning. Way too early for him to be awake.

As a kid, he had often woken up early in the morning (because of his parents constant 24/7 arguing), and he would say that it was unhealthy for a growing boy to be awake before the birds. But he wasn't a kid and hadn't been for a long time. He had learned that adult hood wasn't as glamorous as it once had seemed to a teenager; you didn't get to do whatever you wanted. After collage you weren't done with school. You still had at least two more years of learning to go. And when you were finally out of school, you were expected to wake up at horrible hours such as 6am _voluntarily_.

After he was done pitying himself, he noticed that the TV was on the right side of the room. The wrong side. The second thing that he noticed was the pillow arrangement on the adjacent couch. The Harrison's had never had much regard for petty things like how good their couches looked; they always went more for comfort than style. The cushions were always casually thrown around to suit whatever their needs might be. For example say it was movie night they would arrange the pillows behind their backs to give their spines support and comfort and never really cleaned up afterwards besides roughly throwing them back on the couch or changing the covers once every two years or so. Now they looked as if a reality design show had come and thrown up all over Tom's house. Everything was spotless and pristine.

He was suddenly aware that the couch that he had been occupying was the only piece of furniture left untouched and looked horribly messy and as if it belonged in a dump compared to everything else.

He suddenly remembered Alex's warning, Ian, The nervous maid and interior designer.

"Ummm…I didn't want to wake you but now that your up can you move?" asked Ian, Tom had apparently had been right and here was the culprit shamelessly asking to contaminate the last cozy part of his living room and life, into what should be on a design show of a professionally done job.

"No."

"Okay…wait, No?"

"No, this is my home," Tom proceeded to hug the couch, "I enjoy its messy and cozy demeanor." Once upon a time Tom would have never thought to use such a long and complex word as demeanor, but teaching knocked that kind of vocabulary into you, and you honestly couldn't help but use it. "You won't contaminate it."

"Mr. Harris, are you feeling alright? Need a doctor?"

Tom realized that he must have sounded crazy so he patted the spot next to him inviting Ian to sit.

Ian looked at the dirty and cluttered couch with distain and Tom resisted the urge to roll his eyes and say 'It's just a couch! Get over it!' but he kept his mouth shut and patience in check. "Come on, it's not going to kill you." He said hopefully sounding encouraging.

Ian wrinkled his nose but joined Tom on the couch all the same.

"Why are you up at..." as Tom said that he also made a motion with his hands and left the time part blank for Ian to fill in.

"3:24" Ian said filling it in as expected with a swift look at his watch.

"3:24! You woke me up at bloody 3:24!"

"Its 3:25 now" Ian corrected hiding a smirk at the older man's reaction at the early hour.

Tom took a moment to regain his composure and breathed in, _not going to freak_, breathe out.

"Enlighten me what are you doing 3:25-"

"3:26" Ian corrected

Tom started breathing again using a simple yet useful technique he learned while observing a _life_ class, simply count to five and breathe. 1.2.3. Not going to strangle the annoying kid .4.5.

"What are you doing at _3:26_ in the morning?"

"Making your house less of a dump-"

1.2.3. Don't kill kid. Don't kill obnoxious, annoying, cocky, kid. He just lost his dad. 4. He settling in. Kill the boy in a week when he's over the shock. 5.

"With Swedish House Mafia on? I like them, but at _3:26_?"

Hearing Tom's 'annoyed and about to be pushed over the edge' tone Ian didn't answer, although he was cheeky and sometimes came off a bit arrogant and cocky he wasn't stupid or in any way suicidal.

"Why are you up?"

Ian laughed subconsciously; it only lasted for a couple seconds before it became forced and tight. "Dad used to say what I'm saying right now; I'd find him organizing the house and yell at him to go to bed or something of the like. I guess that it rubbed off on me. When I asked what he was _doing up_ at the hour or _where_ he had gone he's just laugh and change the subject entirely, things that made sense to him, never really made sense to anyone else."

Tom laughed now that he thought about it, Ian's habits and cheek was familiar, they were Alex's.

Tom felt the need to share his own Alex experience now that Ian had done so. "Alex came to visit me on my wedding day. He was coming with his wife to attend. I saw him but I don't think he saw me because they were arguing whether they should have turned left at the lights. Of course, it took a while for them to actually figure out they were at the right place, and he walked in halfway through the reception with a smile on his face and your mother on his arm. Typically Alex. When his time came to do the best-man speech, he said, and I quote 'Well, mate, you've finally found your one. I'm sure if your parents were here, they would have fallen into another disagreement by now, with several things that probably should never be said aloud even alone in a locked room, never mind a wedding.'"

Tom stopped for air and saw that Ian was smiling, before continuing.

"And then he went on to tell every embarrassing story that he knew with me in it and called it payback for his wedding, where I-" Tom coughed clearing his throat-"ate a good amount of cake in my opinion. I knew that I should have picked Jerry, my brother-"

Ian hid his laughter behind his arm as he pretended to cough vigorously, "Tom and Jerry?"

"-Anyway, I should have picked Jerry" said Tom, evading the question "But he did get Elle's brother to like me. The man was HUGE and part of the S.A.S. I think he's a sergeant now; I don't really keep track of that stuff. But he thought that a couple of those stories was hilarious and tells them every time we visit him to commemorate them. After like twenty retells it gets pretty twisted and I think that now the story is that I dressed as a clown was balancing on a tightrope over a fire on a uni-cycle petting a purple poodle and revealing my new spring collection to the world when I tripped on a rubber Frankenstein duck and landed face down in a urinal."

Now Ian was freely laughing and Tom started to chuckle at his own twisted, untrue story. 'This won't be as had as I originally thought' Tom allowed himself to think as he set a now asleep Ian Rider on the opposite couch, and started to fall back asleep under a thin blanket.

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**Sorry again for the late update.**

**Well there you go; on my profile I have a poll on what story you want me to update first, and I need your opinion. If you don't have an account just review ur choice. **

**Also answer to last chapter's question: 9 books officially in the series but there are 11 (the 2 others still by Anthony Horwitz are just not as notable)**

**Question of the chapter: how did jack die? **

**Bonus: who cried?**

**Thanks **

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**Also I'd just like to say please read some of my other work and again, the poll on my profile, I need your feed back! **

**Another thing; if you would like a particular scene or would want me to try a particular idea please tell me ether by pm or review. I do take requests, and try to use them as true to the idea as possible.**

**How was it? Good? Bad? Need more details? More action?**


	5. bonus:Giant John, Aiden and realizeation

**hello my lovelies, **

**pls review cuz i was kinda dissapointed with only two reviews, but whatever, and i would love to thank those two wonderful peeps! **

**blone dude 42-thanks, and your correct! persicely! (::) (::) (::) (::) (::)!**

**(geust)MG14-thanks for the review! aww! thanks :D (::) (::) (::) (::)!**

**also thanks to my awesome beta: fates silver chain!cookie and thanks to and (::) for you too! **

**again thank you so much for folloing, favoriting etc! i really love the feedback and it really makes me a better author (i hope :D)**

**this short chapter is a sorry for the late update last time and thank you all for all your support chapter. yeah i said it! i CONFERMED it, once i reach 20 reviews or followers or foavorites (0.O- dont know it that'll happen but cross ur fingers) i'll give another bonus chapter! dont get me wrong, i still will have weekly updates, but i do have bonus chapters. :)**

**song of the chapter: hey there Delilah, plain white T's**

**answer to previous question:as blonde dude 42 so exelently put it:"Jack was killed by a remote detonaded bome in a car set off by Julian while Jack was trying to escape. The entire point of this was to give Alex emotional pain for measuring pain." quoted from Blonde Dude 42's review**

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John: 

When John woke up he saw that Ian had left and that there was an average height boy standing over him, poking him tentatively with the tip of his bunny slippers, as if John was a sleeping giant (which he probably was to the teen).

Sighing mentally, he closed his eyes again and sank into the inviting darkness as the boy turned away.

John felt the nudging and immediately his mind went to the conclusion that Jackie was attempting to prank him like she often did without even thinking, he leapt to his feet and rugby-style tackled 'Jackie'.

He did however, quickly get off and backed up against the painted blue walls that he hadn't noticed the night before, when he heard a high but noticeably _male_ voice, mumble underneath him curse, calling him an oaf and a couple more less friendly names, phrases and words.

"WHAT THE HECK DID YOU DO THAT FOR?"

Blushing and remembering Elle's dirty look and the warning the night before that he had momentarily forgotten about, he smiled sheepishly and replied honestly. "Sorry, I thought you were my sister."

"Who are you? And what are you doing in my room?" Aiden asked nervously clutching one of the fluffy slippers whilst the other was out of sight. Behind him against the wardrobe, rested a bat that looked like it could do more than a little damage.

John also started to feel nervous; he could have easily taken the younger boy down without hurting him when the boy was no where near the bat. But the kid, Aiden, apparently from the nameplate above his bed, was moving slowly towards the bat and most likely would swing if he got frightened. John spoke softly and gently, playing 'Helen' for the day.

"My name is John Rider, and I'll be staying here; your mom didn't want to wake you last night to explain it to you but my dad's missing. Me and my siblings are staying with you at the minute."

Aiden seemed to pause, thinking over the authenticity of the words and explanation, before running wildly out of the room towards what could have been the master bedroom, no doubt to confirm the story. Now he just needed to wait for 'Elle' to clear up the story and explain.

All the residents of the house had a family meeting in the living room and John suspected that Ian fairy had visited over night. It was funny how alike Ian and their dad were, despite Ian's computer genoius. He was a nervous cleaner, reserved as well for the most part. Unlike himself who would be normally described as loud and open.

As Elle and Mr. Harris or Tom as he wanted them to call him, explained to Aiden, the young teen became much louder and exited and in a way ten times more annoying, which was quirky to John.

"Do you normally tackle people, or am I just a special case?" questioned Aiden smirking, after Tom had finished speaking.

John allowed himself a small smile, looking down on the boy from his spot on the couch. "No, I'm usually civil despite whatever Helen says."

"What! I never said you weren't! I said that you could be rash and irresponsible!" protested Helen smacking John on the arm causing another round of laughter by the sibling debate.

Aiden held his hand out with a smile similar to John's own. "Well then, it's nice to meet you new brothers and sisters."

The newly orphaned sucked in their breath. Acknowledging their adoption was basically acknowledging their father's death and as John looked around he could see that all of his remaining family had been ignoring that particular detail. They had unknowingly decided to treat the unexpected change in custody as a regular visit to meet their father's childhood friend and that eventually, Dad would show up to bring them home.

John realized what he had to do as the oldest. He decided to do one of the hardest things in the world for him; not because he couldn't say the words, but because of what they signified.

Aidan's unshaken hand had been in the air for a while and when no one had moved to take the hand it lead to an awkward silence.

John took a deep breath and said while taking the hand "Brothers". He did it for all of them. They all had to realize that Dad was gone and if he had to be the antagonist for that to happen, then so be it.

Aiden looked relieved and the Rider children looked miserable because the message was finally sinking in. Alex Rider wasn't coming back.

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**awww! so sad :*( **

**again any requests? and my poll. **

**thanks and pls review**

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	6. wolfie stster AKA Tom

**OK, well OMG 20 reviews! Well I will have your bonus chapter as promised :D But let's take a moment because I'm just so excited!**

**Well thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed and dare I say it favorite!**

**PS Custody had been viewed from like well A LOT of countries; its gone VIRAL!**

**~Metalgod14 –Thanks to you too! (::) (::) (::) (::) (::)**

**~blackraven66 –DON'T WORRY, I would NEVER kill off Alex! (::) (::) (::) (::) **

**~Minako-Nikita –Thanks cookies for you! (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) **

**~guest- Thank you for your input, it helped a lot! I fixed it but I wished that you put an individual name in because guest could mean anyone. :)**

**KEY: (or stuff that you may not know that's relevant to the story)**

**1500 is equivalent to 3:00 pm **

**(A/N I usually try to avoid swearing but in the book, Brecon Beacons is described as hell on earth.)**

** Well, enjoy!**

Michael DiCuzze AKA Wolf:

Michael was a successful man in military terms. As a member of society, he was a really buff guy who spent his time yelling at other people to train at horribly early hours that no person in their right mind would be up at. He was constantly being called the 'devil of hell on earth' by cranky sleep deprived soldiers.

But instead, at 1500 on that day, he was outside his sister's house opening the whitewashed picket fenced gate. 'S_eriously Elle, isn't that too cliché for even you?' _He muttered as he pushed the creaky door open.

"Oh, oh, oh, we're going to the house, we're going to the white fenced house, we're going to the small, dainty, white fenced house, u-huh u-huh yeah yeah!" Michael had to fight the unbeatable urge to tear out his hair; he had decided to bring his old unit with him for good times sake and was sourly regretting it.

Eagle and his singing was driving Wolf up the wall. The 'man' had recently discovered the horror known as 'Swiss Miss', a powdered hot chocolate mix that was so unbearably full on sugar. Wolf wanted so desperately to murder whoever was so idiotic to EVER give Eagle sugar after all the other unfortunate _accidents_. By accidents he meant setting Brecon Beacons on fire thrice, exploding the outhouse twice and earning the unit as whole kitchen duty five times- five times too many considering the sugar hadn't worn off when they'd been told to start.

Michael had taken up the role of drill sergeant at the S.A.S. training camp, so he had come across men of all shapes and sizes. But he had NEVER come across one that even touched Eagle's level of obnoxiousness; well… none that he had come across as, since most people had enough sense to know NOT to mess with him.

"So, Wolfie has a sister? Weird." said Hawk suddenly over the top of Eagles singing. "Can you imagine a girl Wolfie?" The man then proceeded to mock shiver at the thought of it.

"Be polite Hawk." scolded Fox, not really taking his eyes off his phone, "She can probably snap your neck." Fox was technically no longer part of the unit as he had moved on to MI6 but still showed up for the reunions and was invited to all the unit get-togethers and no one commented on his appearance.

Hawk had American roots and had replaced Fox in K-Unit. He was a combination of most of the members of the group; energetic like Eagle with the added American pep, quiet like Snake and preferring to keep to himself(although that side of the American man _rarely_ showed its self), quick-witted like Fox and stoic like Wolf.

He also reminded Michael a bit of cub. Cub had only been with the S.A.S. for only a brief amount of time, but the teenage boy had made his mark. The boy had escaped interrogation and managed to annoy the heck out of Wolf without really doing anything. He was unexpected, and had kicked Michael out of a plane saving his career. Wolf in return had sent him a 'get well card' with the unit's half hearted signatures. But over that short amount of time the teen had been admittedly strong willed and Hawk shared that trait with the kid, who by now must have been grown up.

Hawk pouted but the grin never left his face as he looked to Wolf.

"How do you know we're at the right place Wolf, last time you led us into a bachelor party." Snake asked not completely confident in his old unit leader's navigation skills.

"We were at the right place!"

"Oh…are you sure? Want to check the GPS again?"

"Hey! You all trusted my direction skills during Iraq, what's the difference?!"

"Well… it's less hot, and a lot more rainier here. And we were kind of had little choice in the matter since half of us were actually unconscious." Eagle scientifically stated.

Michael ignored the men and made his way, stepping over the flower beds that seemed to be randomly placed all along the sides of the walk way. His ex-unit were not as graceful and continually smashed each plant on their short journey from the gate to the front door. "AHHH! PLANTS! MORE PLANTS!" came Eagle's panicked cry, "THEY'RE EVERYWHERE!"

Michael rolled his eyes and rang the door bell. And almost immediately there was a response, "Yes! My hot chocolate!" A man that Michael recognized as Tom, his brother in law and Elle's husband, poked his head out side, grabbed Snakes book and signed it as if the excited man- child signing off a delivery leaving behind a messy illegible scrawl and then swiped hot chocolate from the unsuspecting Eagle's arms. "Thanks!" Tom flashed a smile before slamming the door in their faces. Michael could hear him yelling in joy "FINALLY!" even though the two good inches of solid wood.

Eagle looked a little lost, "Where did my Swiss Miss go?" The poor 'man' then went on to scan his surroundings and the nearby trees as if the box of hot chocolate mix had walked up and hidden it's self in shrubbery.

Snake was looking at the page that Tom had signed with sadness and bewilderment, "He signed my text book." The poor man said confused.

"Who the heck was that, I thought you said your sister was a gir- of course she's a girl, very pretty, a keeper." Hawk said at first confused thinking that Tom was Wolf's sister and then misinterpreting Wolf's glare.

Wolf ignored it all as he pounded on the door forgetting about the door bell, this time the response was slow acting and took a good five minutes to take effect.

"What? I signed the paper!" Tom questioned, clutching the box of Swiss Miss to his chest and holding the mug that was most likely full of the same substance yet liquefied as if it was some holy object. "and a little info, you're two hours late! No I'm not tipping you!" the last part was yelled as Snake held his palm up towards Tom as if to calm him.

"I'm very sorry to bother you sir but do you need any help, mental help perhaps? Do you see a psychiatrist at a regularly basis. My good friend Eagle started and the results are… improved and he's much better off…" Snake had suddenly turned into the mother hen that they had all dreaded during their time in the field, but Wolf had to stifle a laugh at the medic focusing his energy on the confused brother in law and for once not on the unit.

"Uhhhh…" Tom looked at loss for words, "I'm sorry, but I don't know what you're talking about." He added as he attempted to shut the door but Wolf had had enough. He caught the door mid swing right before it was about to slam. "Tom, can we come in?"

"Oh!" Tom seemed to jump in surprise, at the sight of the man he had totally ignored. "Michael, yeah come on in."

**Sorry if it this chapter seemed a little crack fic-y, :)**

**I would love to say thanks to my awesome beta: Fates Silver Chain :D**

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**SORRY I FORGOT ABOUT THE QUESTION OF THE CHAPTER LAST CHAPTER, SO SORRY! **

**OK WELL THIS CHAPTERS QUESTION IS: what does SCORPIA stand for?**

**_thanks_**


	7. locked in a closet with 5 buff men

**Here it is, 7****th**** chapter! I an SO SO SORRY how late this is, :)**

**song of the chapter is Radioactive, Imagine Dragons **

**also the answer to last time's question is Sabotoge CORuPtion Infiltration Assasination**

**Yorkiegirl44:**** Thanks! And you're correct! **

**HollyBlue2:**** Thank you! I'll work on all that :)**

**Blonde dude 42:**** Yup you're right!**

**J'aime Lire:**** I love your name! I get it, "I love reading in French!" that's the loose translation….I think, I horrible at French :)**

**Tantalum Cobalt:**** Thanks so much! A lot of this chapter was influenced by your review! If it turns out to be a bust, sorry :D**

**MetelGod14: Here is your update :D and I'll keep that in mind. :D**

**randomperson164: Your right and good morals :P**

**Minako- Nikita: Thanks :D**

**Cookies for all of you! (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) **

**And thanks to my AMAZING beta: Fates Silver Chain! :) **

**please review!**

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John:

It hadn't even been two weeks with the Harris'. Helen and Ian took the implications of the unsaid statement better to everyone else's eyes but John knew better. He noticed the small details and Jackie probably had too, but waved it off or just didn't act on it. Helen seemed to get flustered whenever she did something wrong and had taken on a shorter temper. She was still loving, helpful and annoying; she was just _more_ loving, _more _helpful and if possible _even more_ annoying.

She had screamed at Jackie for hours after she'd knocked her glass of milk off the counter and sent her necklace flying, cracking the metal decoration. Aiden seemed to ignore it and labeled it as being too attached with her jewelry whilst Tom and Elle seemed to think that she was over reacting; they all knew that the necklace was important, just not how much. It had been her 11th birthday present from Mum and Dad, it was hand crafted in Thailand.

How they had gotten it when Dad had been in Tokyo and Mom watching them 24/7, was something else entirely. Probably something to do with Dads connections.

Ian had become, if possible more solitary and more of a clean freak; any out-of-place object would set him off into a cleaning frenzy. He would spend hours at the computer, just typing in their Dads name trying so desperately to find him.

Jackie was more visual and blunt with her thoughts the past weeks; John so far had been electrocuted, woken up in a mud filled bed… well make shift bed, and found himself more than once floating in the backyard pool with no recollection of the night before or how he had gotten there. He accepted all the pranks with good grace, knowing that they were Jackie's way of relieving stress and often rage.

But sometimes, she took things too far.

Day 12 in their new home, he was locked in a closet with a bunch of hungry S.A.S. people. "HEEEELLLPPP MEEEEEEE!" moaned Eagle. From John's two weeks of knowing the man (child) he could safely say that the man was very excitable and had a short attention span.

"Shut up Eagle!" yelled Snake, the medic of the strange group of muscular men.

"Sorry."

The trapped people fell into silence once again.

"Sooo, what happened to your parents kid?" asked Wolf, the obvious leader.

John wanted to point out that he was eighteen and legally an adult, but bit his tounge. Who knew when he would be able to get out and giving smart comments to the buff men would not be a smart move. He might have been able to fight one of the S.A.S. man alone, but five against one; suicide.

The smart comments would also not help in getting out of the closet unscathed. _When_ he got out of the closet anyway. Knowing Jackie, she had probably forgotten about them and only remember some time at midnight.

"My mom's dead, my dad's…" John trailed off. One of the soldiers prompted with "dead" to which he immediately corrected.

"MIA."

"Hey, ya know, he kind a looks like Cub? Doesn't he?" questioned Eagle

Wolf seemed to tilt his head like a real wolf as he considered the possibilities, looking John up and down as if comparing the two in his head.

John was utterly confused, were they calling him a baby bear? Should he be insulted? John decided to stay quiet and wait it out until their intentions became more pronounced. If he was being insulted… well, John imagined that he would resort to violence. (Although and despite his high degree in the martial arts, John would most likely be pounded before he could even throw a punch.)

"Would you be related to Alex? NO! Alex Horse?" asked Snake jerking John out of his conflicting thoughts.

"No, who's he?"

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Tim Louis AKA Snake:

Tim Louis was out of the field at the minute, and volunteered at the neighborhood medical centers to lend a hand. When not with the SAS, he was a part time eye doctor, or ophthalmologist to be precise. He had always liked to be precise, even as a kid.

In front of him was a replica of Cub. The former sergeant, as Wolf now occupied that role, had once told the ex-unit the name of the former member. That was it. No age, no nothing.

The older man wouldn't have even told them the name if they had not caught him at an unfortunate moment where the ex-sergeant was drunk. Eagle, the idiot that he was, asked _questions_. Questions that the answers to which Snake NEVER wanted to hear again; he now knew more than any self respecting person would ever know about another man's _personal_ life.

The man that resembled Cub, or John, Tim remembered, shifted under all the comparing glazes and Tim couldn't help but join in on the staring.

John had a broader chest than Cub did; he also, despite his current silence, seemed to be lively and full of mirth- not a characteristic trait they remembered in Cub.

"Really, are you sure that you're not related to Alex Horse?" Eagle tried again for what seemed like the fifth or maybe seventh time.

John looked at Eagle like he was crazy, which to a certain degree Eagle admittedly was.

"No, no, no!" Interrupted Hawk, surprising Snake; what would Hawk know on the units illegitimate member. "His name was Alex _Saddle_!" Hawk turned to John and repeated the name as if John hadn't heard it the first time.

"No!"

"How about Rider, know a Alex Rider?" volunteered Fox, face twisted in confusion.

"Alex Rider is my dad." Said John emphasizing as if it was obvious; and to a point it was. Cub was and must have been at the age where he would be a father, and the numbers added up.

The rest of the unit had not pieced things together as quickly. "So if Alex Rider's your Dad… then… you would be like… his son!" Stated Hawk, as if that much wasn't obvious.

"Sooo… your Dads part of the government?

John frowned, "No; my dad's an overseas bank manager." The unit recognized the term but they didn't comment; MI6's business was not their problem. But John wasn't done, "How is an overseas bank manager _MIA_?"

When the boy saw how no one was answering him he fell quiet.

"We'll tell you later kid." Hawk compromised, not catching, or possibly ignoring the flash of annoyance that flashed in Johns eyes when he referred to the eighteen year old as _kid_.

Tim rested his head against the wall, and searched the faces of his unit.

Wolf, too was leaning on a wall, but his alert posture proved he was ready to spring into action. Hawk started making funny faces at a mirror that the cupboard along with a lot more junk. Eagle was drawing a dinosaur getting beat up by a penguin.

Fox was texting his girlfriend on his phone. Fox was texting his girlfriend on his _phone_! Fox had a PHONE! "FOX! YOU HAVE A PHONE!"

"Yeah," he replied not taking his eyes off the small lit up screen. Hawk noticed and nudged Eagle who looked enraged at being disturbed from his proclaimed 'master piece' but saw some kind of reasoning once he set eyes on the phone.

With out any warning at all the man-child lunged. "AAAAAAAAHHHHHH" Snakes theory of Wolf being alert was proved when wolf skill fully ducked as Eagle (flew) jumped over to get to the man shielding the phone with his body.

"Ehhpf"

"Ouppth"

"Gaak"

Finally Eagle prevailed with the phone clutched valiantly in his hand.

"Call for help." urged Hawk.

"Duh!" yelled John.

And just like that the battery seemed to run out as the glow got dimmer and Eagle cried out in what could or could not have been mock agony.

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14 hours later: 1600:

3rd person:

'Hmm.' Mused Tom as he ate his sandwich, 'where was John, and the military men?'

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After word:

John, Snake, Eagle, Wolf, Fox and Hawk were rescued by an unsuspecting Elle who wanted the spare towels. She was, to put it lightly, _very_ surprised

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	8. Ian, the late-night bathroom hacker

**Hey! Happy late Valentine's Day! 3**

**I realize that I forgot the question of the chapter last chapter, so here it is, when or how did Alex meet Tom, or what did Anthony Howerwitz say about it? **

**I want to thank everyone who is reading this, reviewing, following and favorite-ing, it really makes my day so much better :D**

**Also, again my poll.**

**J'aime lire: thank you so much for your review, lol :D**

**Blonde Dude 42: that is a good reasoning but I didn't think of that :)**

**Minako-Nikita: so glad that you like it and fing it funny :D**

******thanks to my beta Fates silver chain!**

**I DONT KNOW ANYTHING ON HACKING, All THIS THAT I WROTE WAS WRITTEN ON WIMBS AND EDUCATED GEUSSES!**

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Ian POV:

Ian felt his eyelids heaving with sleep; he had locked himself in the bathroom for privacy. He cracked his knuckles; he was going to do it. Sitting in the bathroom, legs crossed and hunched over his laptop, Ian stared at the computer screen idely. He could feel his fingers twitching, almost in anticipation, as he stared, just thinking.

In the past, he had 'peeked' at his records and records of a few other select classmates, but never national security, and never something this big.

Breathing deeply he entered the a dicometric code, the old fashioned way, not bothering with those newfangled cheat codes. Those could sometimes be rigged to uncover the hacker. No, he did it the right way. Fingers danced over the cramped laptop key pad, by-passing fire wall after fire wall. It took him hours to just pass the outer layer. And that was the easy part. All good computer aides as he preferred to call himself, knew that all the little traps and complex firewalls were where the important information was.

He had just penetrated the skin. He assumed that his father whad a minorly ranking job so he would be in the lower class protection, the easy firewalls (or easy compared to maximum security that Ian could ever even dream of breaching). Even the lowest class was well protected and Ian, with all his computer skills, only just made it out without any huge data crashes.

But it was done.

Several hours had passed unnoticed, and even though Ian's fingers ached from the strenus work, a wide smile covered his face. He was in.

He strolled down the listed names of MI's combined lower class workers including cleaners, janitors and most likely, bankers.

He quickly rolled down to the 'R' section as it was alphabetized.

Role, Ken –janitor, MI5

Ramos, Jennifer –cleaner, MI6

Roland, Osmosis –disposal, all sectors…

The list went on and on but Ian got it. His Dad wasn't on the list.

There was no Rider, Alexander on the long list and it was 4 in the morning. Numbly, he cleared up his area, replacing the towel that he had been sitting on back to its proper hook, its job had been to keep Ian's bum from getting numb. The towel obviously hadn't worked.

He almost fell, his knees week from the still position and lack of blood and movement. His computer was not as fortunate and fell like a stone on the cold tiled floor, making a loud crash and noise with it.

Ian watched it fall; that was years of carefully spent money- his best computer. He almost felt like crying. His mum had died when he was only 12. Now his dad was missing. He had the right to cry. And his damaged equipment, he had spent ages working and locating the best equipment at the best prices and technology. That only added to the fact and option of crying.

He could hear the five burly men that Jackie had locked in a closet with John (a plan he had secretly had a part in), shuffling in the living room.

Tom had reclaimed, or better said, re-earned his place on his own bed, earlier this week.

Ian carefully picked up his laptop and all its components, stacking them evenly on to each other, before slowly opening the bathroom door. He made his way down the hall to Aidan's bedroom.

The boy was average for his age group, with a little more than average annoying level, one that had admittedly grown on him.

Shuffling the computer and stacked appliances to one arm he opened the door silently with the other.

Trying to be as stealthy as Jackie he walked back in, balancing on the balls of his feet. Slipping the technology and equipment into his suit case, he buried it under a mound of neatly folded clothes before letting sleep and nature do its duty and fell into a dreamless sleep, thinking only of his discoveries. His father was not in the lower class, tomorrow he would attempt middle, but middle had harder defenses and he'd barely passed lower.

He felt tears build up in his eyes; they were late, but there never the less. At least four years of sadness had been building up in him and he let it out. All of it.

Michael MiCozze= Wolf POV:

Michel woke to the sound to an almost metallic bang coming from up stairs; he made a move, placing one hand on his waist. It was an anxious reflex, ever since Iraq. Calm down, he tried to tell himself, probably on of Cub's kids; they hadn't told the rest of the children about their dad, been there done that.

They had once tried to placate a worried child by telling her what exactly her father did for a living. It turned out the girl had not known about her father's real profession, and was as result, skeptical. Eagle, the overly excitable man, had a good heart but was hopeless when it came to certain topics. He'd given the girl evidence, clearly scaring her- he wouldn't be surprised to see the sweet girl in rehab after all the gory r-rated stories that Eagle had told.

All the kids here seemed nice and relatively sane. And Wolf wanted to keep it as so.

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	9. Helen's locket and fire

**Hello and hi,**

**I always forget to do the disclaimer but this counts for everything, "I don't make any money from this and don't own any of this, only my OCs and plot, Anthony Horwitz does." –W2be14**

**I have decided to start something new, I'm going to reply directly to the reviews if they have an account, whilst guest reviews get posted and with the answers written here.**

**Thank you to J'aime Lire, Blonde dude 42, YD Angel, Minako-Nikita! Cookies for all of you! (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::)**

**Farmersdaughter- so glad that you liked this :D**

**Thank you to my AMAZING beta Fate's Silver Chain**

**The answer to the last question is: Alex and Tom met when Tom was being bullied and Alex beat them up.**

**Again, remember my poll, if you don't have an account, just review your answer :D**

**revised 4-4-13**

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Helen was seated next to the electric fire place, roasting her over heated toes and looking down at her the remains of her once beautiful handcrafted necklace. Broken intricate designs that had weaved in and out of each other with the inscription that she would forever treasure. She stared trying to remember the day she had gotten it.

She had just turned eleven. It was 9:08 in the morning. "Morning Len, sleep well?" her mum tried for a smile but Dad was away on a business trip in Tokyo, Japan. Mum was always sad when dad was away. Helen could see the dark prominent circles under her Mum's eyes. Their mum had to deal with Taxes and three crazy children plus herself.

It was times like this when Helen wanted to drag her father back to their house in the UK just to see how much he worried Helen's Mum.

"Great," Helen smiled for effect, her Mum was always so… Helen couldn't really describe it, but, strong. Helen wanted to be just like that when she was older. Her Mum was her role model, Helen's admiration for her matched up to nothing else, not even Ian's obsession with technology.

"Your father's coming home today,"

Helen looked up to see her mother's shining eyes, identical to her own. "Great. When?" Helen couldn't help but add. She instantly regretted it when she saw her mums face.

"I don't know Len". There it was, "Len". Helen had only one nickname that she approved of, and that was Len, only to be used by their mother, and only their mother. The only one that she had ever responded to; not Hela or Catty or Hel or not even H, from her Father. She only wanted to be called Helen and before the "incident", Len.

Helen nodded and watched her mother's retreating back as she probably went to go wake up 'Jackie the morning monster' as Helen liked to think of her twin.

Helen smiled, not as wide as Jackie who was practically glowing, but enough to show how happy she was. They had just finished the upside-down chocolate mousse cake from the famed Berkley's. It was more than satisfying. "Present time!" cried Jackie, "What cha guys get me, huh?"

Helen laughed at her sister's usage of slang and bluntness only she could pull off.

There were two piles on the mahogany table. All of Helen's presents were wrapped in a soft pink wrapping or something else along that color scheme. Jackie's were wrapped in a rough orange.

Helen couldn't help but smile wider as she threw a glance at her mother who always tried to make all her children feel equal and loved. Her mother always bought the birthday boy or girl's favorite color wrapping paper to use for all the presents. Another great feature about their mother: She always cared. Helen caught her mum's eye. It winked before turning back to Helen's twin who promptly dug head first into the mound of gifts. Helen couldn't help it. She did the same, trying to guess the contents of each one.

The rest of the evening was filled with loud laughter and even more cake. When it was time to retreat to bed, everyone but Helen climbed the stairs. Helen's mother observed her solitary daughter before making her own way up the stairs. It was the girl's birthday. She deserved more freedom. If Helen didn't come up and go to bed within the next hour she could come and check on her.

Staring into the dim firelight, her eyes bore deep into the dying ambers. Another birthday gone by, she was eleven now, so much more responsibilities to take on. She felt an arm wrapping around her shoulders. Turning, she faced her mother. Kind yet sad worried eyes looked back at her, as if understanding her thoughts.

"I love the fire, so warm and cozy," Helen's Mum suddenly said, "I always try to resemble it, warm and cozy."

Forever Helen Rider would take those words to heart: resemble the fire, cozy and warm, and would often find herself staring almost mesmerized into the deep scarlet flames.

Her mother had left later at midnight, deciding to leave her daughter to think over her thoughts alone. ? and Helen had continually not moved since.?

She barely even noticed the front door open with a "CREEEK"

A man with his fair hair stuffed into a cap stepped in swiftly, holding two decorative bags: one pink, one orange. "Dad?" the man swiveled around and saw his daughter alone, sitting by the fire. He sighed and brought her into a hug.

"Happy birthday!" Alex Rider ruffled his daughter's hair before placing the pink bag into her hands, smiling as he did so before bounding up the steps to see his wife and deliver his other package.

Helen eyed the bag, finally opening it to reveal….. Tissue paper. Helen parted the pale thin material and came upon on a box. She gingerly lifted the cover to revel the most delicate piece of jewelry that she had ever seen.

It was a locket and inside, on one side, was a picture of their family, perfectly formatted to fit in the frame. On the other side was an engraving that upon further research turned out to be Thai.

_เรารักคุณ_

_อย่าลืมว่า_

_เข้มแข็ง_

She treasured that locket, not because of its worth or cost but what it stood for, her mother had spent a good many hours teaching Helen and an inattentive Jackie how to care for it.

To her, Helen, it symbolized family and love. The basis of Helen's reality, Helen loved her family more than latterly? literally anything. She could look like a hag as long as she had her family with her.

But fate was cruel when it took her mother. Helen would give anything to be called "Len," once more by her mother, anything.

Helen slid her legs around, her back facing the electric fireplace? hurrying up the stairs to the Harris's guest room that she shared with her sister and twin. She curled up on the queen sized bed, next to both her sisters. (Is she in bed or hurring? only twin sister introduced? Or do you mean her oldr sister and her twin?

Jackie was limp in a crazy pose at the foot of the bed, Lanie was wrapped in a small tight ball on the edge of the bed barely taking up more than a foot. Helen stopped, just to watch their calm breathing and still forms so different from when they were awake. Setting down the locket and wishing she was eleven again with her family, Helen drifted off to sleep.

The next morning at the Harris table was hectic. The ex-military men were going to leave soon, in a couple days and everyone was scurrying around to collect the men's stuff.

She looked around as Jackie attempted to eat the eggs with a knife and couldn't help but let out a yelp. The girl was so stupid and naive sometimes; the last time she did that she had o go to the emergency room to get herself all stitched up.

She jerked into action, crossing the table, carefully lowering the knife from her twin's face. How stupid can someone be? Helen expected a thank you, not her sister glares when the knife was safely out of her grip.

Helen once again wished that she was eleven, young, with a mother and father and an abundant absence of glares.

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**Thanks :D and remember my poll :)**

**Question of the chapter: what aquatic boneless animal did Alex encounter in Stormbreaker?**


	10. back-firing pranks, Jackie and Elle

**Hi, hello and salutations**

**I am so so so sorry about how late this is,I went on vacation and it threw my whole agenda off.**

**thank you to **

**Farmersdaughter: thank you for the cookie! Yes Alex is alive, as I have said before I will NEVER kill of Alex (…or maybe…;D jk, I'm not that cruel...or am I?)this chapter is based off what you reviewed, yes, Elle will warm up.**

**Geust: correct!**

**Also thank you to: blonde dude 42(correct as usual) youngjusticefanatic(luv the name) J'aime Lire and redandwhitetigers!**

**Cookies to all of you! (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) ****(::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::)**

**"****Portuguese Man of War, 99% water with no brain, no guts and no anus.****" Answer taken from J'aime Lire except I added an "of"**

**Another little thing, I didn't chose Elle to be the victim because of anything other than randomosity, FarmersDaughter's review and the fact the I needed to go deeper into Elle's character.**

**FYI: "Ullers: Sticky heaven" DOES NOT EXIST! please, to all you pranksters, don't go looking for it at the nearest mart.**

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Jackie POV:

Jackie smiled widely, as she carefully placed the glue bucket on top of the kitchen door frame. The S.A.S. wouldn't know what hit them. Tomorrow was be the last day of their visit, and her last chance to prank them.

The unit were always the first up on the morning, so with common sense Jackie deducted that since they were lodging in the living room, they would be the first ones in the kitchen.

She repositioned the confetti cannons to aim directly at the door way. Feathers littered the floor, waiting. It would be a heck of a mess to clean up but completely worth it in her opinion. And if it backfired and she ended up glueing John- who was the one who was always in the kitchen first- no worries. She was fine with glueing either of them.

The glue she chose 'Ullers: sticky heaven' was close to impossible to get rid of, but all the possible targets had relatively short hair. All good.

Jackie stepped back to admire her work. It was undoubtably late but she paid no heed; she was hyped on some kind of coffee that she had found in the cupboard that Wolf seemed to drink constantly. She had been completely absorbed in her work for hours it could have been past three in the morning.

That was why she liked pranks- they took her mind off her life. Like how Emily Fallon had stolen Sara's boyfriend a month after Sara had taken him from Jackie and before that, Terra Hon who was now going out with Emily's ex Dylan Dixon. That had been her reasoning months ago, now it was her sudden orphan title. The lack of a dad.

Jackie shook her head as if that petty action would clear her head of all the unwanted memories and thoughts. Focusing her attention on the prank she scanned for any loose ends where the prankees would be able to escape their impending doom.  
There were none visible to her naked eye, and after she was satisfied she tried to quietly make her way back to the guest room as it was now close to five according to the wall clock. It didn't work out that way. As she passed the counter to take a different route to the upstairs she knocked over a cup if clean carelessly placed silverware to the feathered floor. Jackie cringed as it fell with a (louder than Jackie thought it should have been,) 'clang'.

She froze as she heard the all too familiar sound of a bed releasing a sleeping body. Jackie dove behind the rubbish bin and tried to look like trash. As Ian always said, her clothing style resembled it.

"Michael?" It was Elle; Jackie fruitlessly prayed that she wouldn't walk through the kitchen door triggering the prank once that she saw her brother was a sleep, but she knew it was human nature to explore and ruin pranks.

Jackie cringed and closed her eyes, she could hear Elle's footsteps getting closer...

"AAAAAHHHHH!"

Elle:

Elle looked down, she was covered in goop, sprayed with confetti and her feet were stepping on feathers and sticking. Elle had always prided herself on being reasonable in the worst situations, but the goop covering her hair crossed the line.

It was a horrible way to start the day. She had been prepared to bake some biscuits for her brother to eat on the go and she would have woken up later but she had heard a noise and thought to have a look. She originally suspected her brother of being the trickster, but her brother, despite having two hundred pounds of muscle on his body, wouldn't have had the nerve.

One of the children did this; one of the girls, which one, she had forgotten.

She stomped noisily up the stairs to try to get the goop out.

She couldn't help it- she was covered in it and she felt it hardening by the second. She vainly tried to wash it off by ducking her head and any opposable limb under the rushing water. When she finally deemed it useless, she screamed.

Elle liked all the children but they just made her once simple life so much harder than it was. The prank was horrid and whoever had did it would received her undeniable ground shaking rage, for sure, but all that could wait. Elle trudged to her bed that she shared with Tom, and fell asleep in her soggy articles of clothing.

Afterword:

After the unit left, Jackie got her punishment of hours playing servant and catering to Elle's every need while scraping the goop off the kitchen floor; the whole situation greatly amused the rest of the residents. But Jackie swore, the next time k unit visited no man would be left un-gooped. Elle unfortunately, had to get a good chunk of her hair lopped off, and as she did so, her annual hair dresser gave her weird looks whilst cutting around the alien substance. It did, however, come out as a very stylish hair style.

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**question**** of the chapter: what was MI6's excuse for Ian Rider's death and how does Alex know their lying?**


	11. Super Lanie, evil Jack and Aidena

**Hi, ****sorry for the** **late update, I had** **computer problems. and my life is basically a soap opera :( so for the past week I've been working off my phone and still am, just not right now. right now me and my buddy Library Computer are typing like mad to get this to you.**

**P.S. but the updates are going to get more infrequent because my life becomes 100% harder starting in a week.**

**I want to say thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed and favorite, it really means a lot :)**

**Again, none of is belongs to me and I promise, to the extent of my knowledge, I am not making any money off this, that means NO!**

**Thank you to: youngjusticefanatic [correct], Blonde Dude** **42[correct], J'aime Lire [correct], redandwhitetigers[correct], Nika Nicoletta [correct] and Tantalum Colbolt [correct]!**

**Also thank you to and answering to the reviews:**

**Farmersdaughter: here's your update!**

**Amzaa: I'm not going to suddenly go from 'short' to super long but I'm making some difference, this chapter is longer than any of my others and I hope to progressively get longer :) don't worry your advice was taken into account, it just might not be immediately noticeable. :D**

**Cookies for all of you! (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::)**

**This is Lanie's point of view so the vocabulary is going to be less 'advanced'. I have always though of Lanie as a bit of a day-dreamer so that will be a factor, and in her fantasies will be in italics, centered and eveyones name will be changed and modified a bit.**

**Trainers=Sneakers**

**The answer to last times question is: "The excuse that MI6 so brilliantly thought up was that Ian Rider was involved a car crash on Old Oak Rd in which a truck hit him, they claim that he would have survived if he was wearing his seatbelt. Alex know that that it is a lie as Ian always wore his seatbelt, and always forced Alex to as well." ~Tantalum Colbolt **

**revised and betaed:4-4-13**

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Lanie's POV:

Lanie stared straight ahead at the next row of seats. They, the Harris' and the Riders, where all on a plane to America to meet Elle's friend for a 4th of July party and they were staying over three nights. It was boring. Extremely boring. She was squashed between Aiden and Jackie. It was, by far, the worst six hours of her life and there was still an hour and a half left until they touched down in San Francisco. "Look here, I don't know where you've been the past hundred years, but in America they have the 4th of July!" Jackie yelled startling the nice lady across the aisle that had given Helen some crackers.

Apparently Aiden noticed too, because he took that time to shout at her. "Look what you did! Shame on you-"

"Hey, if you hadn't-" She broke off to Aiden yelling shun.

_'Super Lanie' was very annoyed and bored._

As so it continued, Lanie clutching her ears, caught in the cross fire of two arguing meannies. Lanie finally built up the courage to move to a seat next to John and Ian a few rows down the line.

_She was, now, 'Super Lanie', and she had a mission. To get to 'super brothers' with out being spotted by the enemy, Evil annoying Jack and Aidena. _

Lanie tensed her legs and sprinted to her target. A mean flight attendant, who had been selling snacks and juice, had seen Lanie out of the corner of her eye. Assuming the young girl to be a wandering child trying to get away from her parents.

_And so, half way to her brothers and the completion of her mission, 'Super Lanie was apprehended. by Long Nails, Jack and Aidena's henchwoman._

Lanie was caught in a tight grip of slim fingers and long nails and the obnoxiously loud chewing of gum. "Excuse me," the lady said looking weary and annoyed at Jackie and Aiden's bickering.

"What!" Jackie demanded loudly, drawing curious stares and heads to turn. From Lanie's experience, if Jackie was angry and also in an argument at the same time that would be a clear sign that she was losing the debate.

"Your child has been wandering," She eyed Jackie and Aiden, "Aren't you a bit young to have kids?" the two teenagers gaped at her as she turned on her heel, to return selling.

_Super Lanie giggles as Long Nails turns on her masters, insulting them._

Aiden looked affronted at the implication, "Who the heck does she think she is?" He apparently had found his voice, as her ranted when the woman had left."Oh, look at me, I chew gum and have five piercings, fluff my overly poofy hair. I'll just assume every pair of teenage boys and girls are married with kids!"

Jackie looked ready to throw up and Lanie was sure that if her sister ever got that woman's address, well... Lanie didn't really want to know what would happen.

She remembered when the big men left. It was hectic, everyone was rushing around and Jackie was being evil. She did a prank, on Elle making her chop off her pretty hair.

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***FLASHBACK***

It was early in the morning, the sun barely visible, with minimal to no light filtering through. The room looked eerie in the lighting. The miscellaneous objects cluttered around creating shadows. When Lanie woke up to screaming. The calm blue walls did nothing for her nerves. Someone had screamed and screaming meant something either really bad or really good had happened.

_Super Lanie woke up to a beautiful morning, too beautiful._

Lanie felt around for her sisters. They where all sharing the queen bed. The big problem with the sleeping arrangement, was that Jackie would never sleep right. She had to always be crooked or horizontal to Lanie and Helen.

She stood up, probing suspicious bumps in the duvet, feeling around for her sisters. She immediately froze when she kicked, a sleeping, most likely grouchy, older sister. "Mmmmm," Helen groaned, shifting and swatting the air that hung centimeters from Lanie's head.

She backed up, and processed with less vigor and softer probing. Nothing.

Jackie was nowhere to be found.

_Jack the Evil and Annoying was missing!_

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Lanie was of course still greatly surprised when she found her sister, Jackie, who had not been there when she had gone to sleep, had her foot stuck in her face. "Gahhh!" Lanie screeched, complete dismissive of her other older sister, Helen's squeak at the alarming noise. Helen had apparently been awake for some time. Lanie could see the room was much more tidy than it had been earlier.

_Super Lanie is alarmed at the sight of the villain, Stinky Foot. _

"Stop yelling Lanie!" Helen gestured to Jackie, "some people are trying to sleep, you have to respect that."

_Princess Hela calms her,_

Lanie frowned, her fair hair messy and unkept from her previous sleep covering her eyes and nodded listening and heading her elders words. She barely had time to reply before a call sounded from downstairs requesting her. She shot another suspicious look at her sleeping sister before walking out of the room. She stomped down the stairs before being blocked by a wall of black cloth. "MOVE!" she ordered, not really paying attention to the large figures face; assuming her brother, John.

_Super Lanie walked up to the towering giant and in a clear voice ordered of its removal._

Had she looked more closely she would have realized the figure in front of her was taller and grumpier than her brother. But she didn't and Eagle was shocked by the young girls firmness and promptly stepped out of the way to allow the girl to pass.

Lanie added a bit of a flounce to her walk because that was just more fun and bounced to the kitchen as that was where the call had most likely come from.

_Super Lanie is summoned to the Kitchen by Queen Ellie._

She was greeted with the sight of Elle putting on her blue over coat and pink trainers. Lanie's jaw dropped, Elle's pretty hair was tussled and to put it lightly, a birds nest with multiple strands sticking out in different directions. Lanie was beyond horrified but it was never the less an amusing sight.

_Queen Ellie looked horrible, Her hair looked like a dragons nest._

"Lanie can you reach that?" Elle pointed to a small crevice between the cabinets and sink. to any grown person it would seem impossible and a tight fit, but it was just big enough for Lanie's small arm.

_Queen Ellie has a special mission for Super Lanie that only Super Lanie can complete._

"Uhhh...Oh! Oh! I think that I can feel it!"

Lanie pulled out a dirtied hat which Elle pulled over her head to cover her messy hair. "Thank you, I'll be back later."

_Queen Ellie graciously thanks Super Lanie who responds, "It was no prob-"_

"Slam!" the Kitchen door slammed shut leaving Lanie alone.

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Tom, Elle and the kids sent K-unit off from the yard. "Good bye," Tom's smile falters as her mer Elle's eyes and Eagle's out stretched hands. Her grumbles as he holds out the 'Swiss Miss' box in front of him. All would have gone well had not Tom refused to let go of the box leading into an intense stare off.

_Super Lanie watched as King Tom valiantly hung on to the box of Gold Powder despite Lord Eagle's larger weight and muscle._

The stare off could have gone on forever if Elle had not given her husband a well placed elbow causing him to grunt and cringe in pain. Eagle took that moment to swipe the box of coco.

_King Tim pressed his lips together in a tight line and sighed, giving up the golden powered box, to resume their farewell to their foreign friends. Lord Wolfie had taken Super Lanie's brother Super Johnny_ _the second and talked to him as the golden powder box stand off was going on._

Lanie faintly wanted to know what Wolf had told her brother, John, but held her tongue. And waved along with the rest of the Riders and Harris' as an old pick up truck exited the driveway. leaving the mismatched family in their wake.

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_Super Lanie was going on an adventure, an adventure to America! _

Those were Lanie's very thoughts before she realized that she would be sitting in between the Evil and Annoying Jack and Aidena.

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**I am so sorry again for the late update, but this is a lot longer like 500 words more, not a huge change but its going to be a gradual thing. :)**

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**question of the chapter: how many times does Alex stop SCORPIA?**


	12. American football and riddles

**Again, so sorry about how infrequent these updates are, I can promise one per month at the least if not more.**

**Thank you Nika Nicoletta!**

**Responses to reviews:**

**FarmersDaughter: Thanks for the review, me to on religion! (Thanks for taking the time to look at my profile) and I'm sorry about the confusion, ask me any questions in your review and I'll answer them as best as I can; I hope that my future chapters are clearer.**

**Guest: Glad you think its funny :D**

**Answer to last chapters question: three times if I am correct. :/**

**And special thanks to my brilliant beta Fate's Silver Chain**

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Johns POV:

John's first impression of America wasn't the best, nor the worst. He sat rigged on the crisp, well loved and cared for couch, embroidered with delicate floral patterns. His polo shirt collar was getting tighter by the moment, even though it hadn't been buttoned up.

Two teenage boys that looked around the age of nineteen, sat comfortably across the low coffee table. John avoided the boys' eyes; he was probably embarrassing himself by his stoic presence and inability to relax compared to their own behavior.

John wished his siblings were by his side. Jackie would probably make some obnoxious joke to break the ice, admittedly crude, but it would likely get the job done. John would be able to laugh shamelessly when Helen reprimanded her. John could just imagine that Ian would be itching to go somewhere secluded to be on some sort of technology. And Lanie, well Lanie would be staring off into the distance. She was most likely thinking about princes and princesses.

John knew that it was a mean thought, but one of the main reasons that he wanted his siblings with him was not only for support but because their behavior would distract the boys from his awkwardness. The moment he thought it John hated himself for it.

They were orphans in short. If they didn't have each other the really had no one. Well… besides Aiden, Elle and Tom.

John didn't like the house that they were staying in. The residents were lovely and above welcoming and the house in all was beautifully furnished and cared for, but John just couldn't shake a feeling, one that forced the small hairs on his arms to stand up. That he didn't belong. The boy on the left, if he hadn't known better could have lived here. But John had gotten the full introduction from Mrs. Williams.

The boy's name was Ryan, and he lived a couple houses over from Nicholas, or Nick, Mrs. Williams' blood-related son though Ryan basically acted as her son too. He might as well have been because he was at the house almost twenty four seven. John envied his relaxed posture and attitude.

John recognized the other boys posture, and their state of mind. He had been the same only a little while ago, had been so only several months ago. Totally and completely in control of his life, knowing exactly who he was. But now, things had changed; his parents were gone, and he wasn't that not-a-care-in-the-world child that he used to be, like Ryan and Nick.

John shook his head of the forbidding thoughts and re thought his position. That was what his old football coach always said. 'When you're overwhelmed, if you can, back up and explore the possibilities.' It was his coach's motto. Coach Murray had always been somewhat of an inspiration for John. So John, naturally took all advice, praise and ridicule to heart.

He was with his siblings, Helen, Ian, Jackie and Lanie. He had a new 'brother' Aiden and a pair of adoptive parents, Elle and Tom. He was staying at the Williams' house hold.

Mrs. Williams was a cheerful woman, with clear, open eyes. She, John, his siblings and the Harris' had arrived earlier during the week. And she and her husband, Andrew had greeted them with open arms. Ryan had a good build and was rather tall with mousey brown hair razor-ed to close to the scalp.

Mrs. Williams also had a daughter, Alexandra, or Alex as her mother said she like to be called. John had only met Alex once and all he had thought during the introduction was how much she looked like a much younger, teenage, Mrs. Williams.

The whole household was preparing for some July fireworks. John had never felt so useless in his life. He had offered to carry a box of streamers that he had promptly dropped on the drive way due to his rash and faulty grip on the cheap cardboard box, sending the streamers rolling, amok, down the private road. Effectively dirtying them, he earned himself a one way trip to a life of 'exile', banished to the sitting room by Mr. Williams. Who John could label a medieval fanatic, not only due to his ability to name every epic fantasy and realistic event to happen, but also by all the ancient artifacts lining the halls leading to the sitting room.

His siblings and Aiden were helping in some way to set up for the upcoming party.

"So, you wanna play some football?" The boy, or Ryan, opposite John questioned, while absent mindedly picking up, what John guessed to be a priceless vase and tapping on the finish. regardless of the possibility of damaging it.

"You do play, right? Britt's do know how to have a decent game, right?" Ryan smirked good naturedly at the his own jibe. Nick seemed to bite back a laugh and John couldn't help it, Ryan did have a pathetic excuse of an accent. Nick seemed well built like Ryan, but unlike Ryan, Nick seemed quite a bit shorter and had blonde hair hanging down to his eyebrows.

"Who doesn't?"

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John had seen the oddest of the odd. The weirdest of the weird (his sister was Jackie Rider after all, prank extraordinaire). But he wasn't prepared to be greeted by five of Ryan's mates clad in padding and helmets.

He hadn't expected to play _American_ football.

Ryan and Nick had invited John to a game at a local park. 'Just a simple rec. game they had said, just us and the guys plus you.'

John had separately walked to the Park. It wasn't long, only a short jog. He had left the house early. He had thought, recreational games or matches usually had no warm ups involved, no time to stretch and loosed up, only playing. Because thats what recreational games were for, fun and playing for the love of the sport. Not for watching out for the possibility that fun might be the price of self harm and a career ending injury.

John knew that he had a bit of an over critical view on recreational football but in all honest, Mick Joule had injured himself, if the rumors were true, while playing a recreational game at the top of Acehill, a local hill that had clean grassy meadows and was frequently used by the neighborhood children as a ski sloop during the winter. The career ending recreational game would have been fine if Mick had stretched and hadn't gone stiff resulting in him rolling down the hill when pulled over to rest, loosing the forever use of a shin and knee. It was apparently a very traumatizing situation. According to John's friend Will, Mick never even touched a football again.

John almost face palmed his face at his own stupidity. In America, football was soccer and the game that Ryan and his mates were papered to play was American football, or a Safer rugby. John was suddenly self conscious in his cleats and shin guards. John had close to no love or respect for _american_ football.

* * *

John really appreciated Ryan and Nick's efforts to get him to settle in better but american football wasn't the way.

Everyone was outside of the Williams' deck enjoying the party but John just wasn't feeling it. He had made multiple excuses to get out of the party scene and he wasn't going to let them go to waste John wandered around, exploring the huge house.

The house was giant. Extensive hall ways and over sized rooms. John couldn't help but to wander into the beautiful maze. In a room with a plain gray paint job was specifically intriguing. Maybe it was because it looked like it was designed to be unnoticeable, but it stuck out like a sore thumb. The whole house looked professionally designed, except for the room he had wandered into.

Maybe it was also the fact that it looked like a set from the James Bond movies, John didn't know. There was one piece of personification, one object , set carefully on the wall. A picture. And that was all. A simple picture, but one with Alexandra and a younger himself.

It was odd, 'he' and Alexandra were standing on a board walk with their arms around each other. But John never remembered ever knowing Alexandra before now but there it was. Living proof or, documented proof. They were there, somewhere on a sandy shore comfortable enough to put there arms around each other.

John pulled out his mobile from his deep jean pocket, as he turned it on he blinked at the unexpectedly bright screen. He positioned his camera by getting on his knees to get a good angle.

John took several pictures of the photo promising himself that he would get to the bottom of it. After a minute longer, just looking at the photo, John left the room closing the door carefully behind himself as he made his way to the guest room that he, Aiden and Ian were sharing.

* * *

John remembered when they had left from the good o'l U.K. Before that when the ex-military unit had left, the leader, Wolf had pulled him aside handing him a grimy, creased card. Telling him to Skype him if he had any questions. John had kept that card, packing it deep with in his suit case in a secure pocket to keep it safe.

John flicked on the light with his finger. The light sadly only corresponded with a small, weak, lamp. The rest of the lighting apparently had to be done manually. John sighed, out of pure, innocent laziness did he dismiss the thought and continue to open his trunk, grabbing hold of the large zipper. Digging deep he felt for the slip of hard paper.

_Wolf_

_S.A.S._

_Wolf_on_duty111_

The amount of information provided was limited, but then again, the man had probably had his reasons. John moved on from his own trunk to Ian's. Ian had so much technology that John was sure that his brother wouldn't miss one of his _several _laptops being missing.

John drummed his fingers on the holly finished desk, as he waited for the laptop to boot up. John's taps echoed in the dark empty room. He could hear laughter coming from outside his window. But, like his mobile, the computer screen lit up and John was presented with the password page. The voices faded as John concentrated on figuring out the password.

John brainstormed everything he knew about his brother. Ian was a 'techie geek', loved apples and despised pears, and he liked riddles. John typed in a random letter, his brother knew enough about computers to make it so the password was a riddle to solve that changed constantly.

lucky enough, he was right. the next thing that popped up was a riddle.

_Run, you cannot_

_yet you outstrip everyone in a race_

_bested by a shelled creature_

_fabled and famous you are_

_three tries you have_

_to guess who you are_

John at that moment wished he could strangle his younger brother. why did he have to make all his questions so hard! John grabbed a piece of scrap paper and scribbled down all his possibilities. The list was pitiful and short, and John decided to sleep on it. John buried Ian's laptop in his trunk along with Wolf's business card. He would try again tomorrow.

* * *

**P**

**L**

**E**

**A**

**S**

**E**

**!**

**R**

**E**

**V**

**I**

**E**

**W**

**!**

**Thanks**

**Question of the chapter: how did Alex meet Sabina Pleasure? and just as a bonus, what are your guesses on the riddle?**

**Also when I reach 80 reviews I'm going to post a celebratory chapter! Thank you for all your support and critic, it really helps. This chapter is at least 600 words longer then my last so I hope I'm getting better at the longer chapters thing :)**


	13. Broken phones and hacking the hacker

**Once again, sorry for the long awaited update.**

**I realize that I have had a rather slow pace, so from here on out it's going to pick up; the plot, development, everything. The chapters are going to very between 1500 to 3000, I have a poll on my profile if you want to vote on how long my chapters should be.**

**I am a slow writer and I haven't the faintest how some people come up with 10,000 words in a couple of days but to those who do, I salute you. All review responses are at the bottom along with some answers that I want to address.**

**Thank you to my amazing Beta Fate's Silver Chain who has to plow through my mistake riddled rough drafts to get this to you.**

**None of this is mine, all recognizable character's belong to Anthony Horowitz**

**-****Now to the story...**

* * *

Ian's point of view:

Ian wanted to scream. Where was his computer? He had ransacked his bag, Aidan's and had torn apart half the house in his search. Not that the house wide search did much damage, there was enough residue left over from the party that his search blended in with the houses current state.

The party had been crazy. Ian had suspected as he papered for the party with his siblings that it would be so. He had slaved for days, helping the Williams hang streamers and pre-make appetizers and punch, and it was all over in less than six hours.

Part of Ian was afraid; what if some official MI5 personal had stolen it because he had gotten through their firewalls. He had finally had a break through, as impossible as it was, but he had. He didn't have access to much, only some of the closed cases and small blurbs on a few agents. No address or contact information, only names and status. Ian guessed that he was seeing what any policeman or woman would see. Nothing major, only the necessary information.

Ian knew what he was doing was illegal, it must have raised some red flags but Ian left that to later, what mattered now was finding his computer.

"You're not going to find it." Ian turned, it was one in the morning, too dark for any sane person to be up. But there she was, his annoying bossy sister, Helen. She wore her fuzzy orange bathrobe that clashed horribly with her maroon slippers.

Ian wanted to forget about her, push her away, out of his mind but his curiosity got the best of him. How could Helen know what he was looking for? Helen was stupid, she didn't know anything. It killed Ian to downgrade and think of his sister in such away but somewhere in the back of Ian's mind, he knew, that was his truthful estimation of her. She had never given him a reason to respect her, in all her fourteen years that Ian had known her. He had no reasons, and that was the hard truth.

"Pray tell, why not?" Ian asked, turning to face his younger sister.

"Because," Helen stood up a little taller, drawing herself up to her full height. "I won't let you. You're hacking into secure government stuff. It's illegal and you're going to get into trouble, stop while you're ahead. Or you'll end up in a secure prison without technology."

"You don't understand Helen, just go back to sleep and leave me alone." Ian fought to remain calm, to keep his voice level. How did she know what he was doing, was it really that obvious. He was really in trouble if Helen noticed.

" I understand perfectly well, I know that you're trying to up you grades. Look I know about that couple of Ds from last term, but cheating isn't going to help. If you really want to go to Cambridge, just do it honestly!"

Ian wanted to laugh, Helen was all wrong. He had, and still has sights set on Cambridge University, of course. But he held it in easily when he remembered that he still didn't have his computer- Helen did. He would have to do this strategically, making Helen believe that he wasn't doing any of her ridiculous assumptions.

"Helen," Ian put on his best hurt face; Lanie had once said that it looked like he was smelling something foul but it was his best (and only) suitable expression. By Helen's stoic and unmoved face, it wasn't very convincing. "I was not doing any of that, don't be stup-silly..." Ian regretted that sentence, insults were not going to gain him any leeway, never mind getting her off his back.

"I was only playing a video game, I need to get to level forty nine! Where is my COMPUTER!" Ian faked urgency into his voice.

Looking back on it, Ian's voice had been rather convincing but it had been his past rants about gamer's and their 'trivial little games' that had allowed for Helen to see clear through his lies. It had been a weak attempt on his part.

"Ian stop it, you have other computers to do all that. Besides, you hate video games." Helen pursed her lips, staring down her taller and older brother.

The room was suddenly ten times smaller, slowly closing in on him, suffocating him as the walls collapsed around him.

"Fine, the truth is that I'm working on an extra credit project."

It would have been a perfectly natural lie, Ian was a bit of an overachiever but Helen wasn't buying any of it. "Ian!" She stared him down harshly while crossing her arms across her chest. "The truth, tell me the truth. Because I am one little button away from calling nine nine nine."

Ian wished that he could think up some amazing and convincing lie to send Helen off his scent but somewhere in Ian, he knew that he had to tell someone the truth. It was killing him from the inside out. Every night, constant all-nighters and not one person to congratulate him when he reached or better said, breached another level of security. AND he needed his computer back.

Helen was if nothing, trustworthy and dependable; she had gained Ian's trust on countless occasions, even though his respect was still pending.

"Helen, you have to promise not to tell anyone, no one can know." Ian tried to keep his voice level but some of his desperation must have seeped through because Helen's face softened.

He watched her take a deep breath before continuing. The suspense was taxing and if so much had not been on the line Ian would have shoved past her to continue with his search. Helen hid his computer and she was going to tell him where it was. It only required the right approach.

"Alright, but if your cutting or hurting yourself I _will_ tell someone."

"_I'm in the middle of a government MI6/MI5 database, I've already broken through a few firewalls, all my work is on that computer, I need it back_." Ian bit his tough at the end; he had rushed his words out, trying to sugar coat it as much as possible but there was not really an easy way to tell anyone, or anybody that they were hacking into a secure government site to view information that may or may not be there.

"You pulling one. That's not true."

"Helen, I'm serious." Ian had no idea why he was trying to convince his sister that he was guilty.

"I'm calling the police, this is too much," Helen pulled out her mobile and started to dial the numbers.

Her facial expression still seemed conflicted but her eyes told him that she wanted to do the very same but just didn't have the nerve.

Before the conflicted girl could hit 'send' Ian tackled her. The impact sent the phone flying to crack against the wall. Tackling people really wasn't Ian's thing; John did more of this sort. Helen's temper flared behind her eyes- it wasn't long before she had gotten Ian on his back, pinned on the ground. Helen had always been strong, stronger then her two year older brother for sure. Ian knew this and knew that his attempt wouldn't have much hold. This was the girl who had four other siblings including himself. The girl who loved to rough-house. He only hoped that Helen's pacifist side would win out.

"You just tackled me!" Helen was out of breath, tightening her grip on her brother. Smashing his face on its side onto the carpeted floor. "Why? Never mind!" She responded to her own rhetorical question as Ian was about to open his mouth to respond. "You broke my phone?!"

"Grroff mii!"

"NO!"

"Plweth Hewp miii, gev bac mi coomputer!"

Ian's speech was jumbled up and muffled by the floor and the pressure Helen was now applying to his head. This was not going well. Ian only hoped that Helen would stop soon and give back his computer, or at least tell him where it was so he could steal it back himself.

Ian though he was dreaming when he felt the pressure loosen, and was able to sit up. He leaned groggily against the wall as Helen stood up arms folded tightly across her chest in defiance. She looked like she had been thinking as he had been suffering under her wrath. "Look Ian, I think that we have some mixed messages. I want to help you because I'm curious too and... I want to know where our Dad is too and..." Ian could tell that she was nervous, Helen was usually very strong spoken and clear. Helen, as she spoke, stumbled over her words and paused at random intervals. Her repetition of 'too' only served to prove her state.

Ian sighed. He had originality hoped to keep the rest of his family out of this. But desperate times called for a minor change in plans. "Alright," He said defeated, "Sure."

"Um... Also... I don't have your computer. I never did. I only used it as a ploy." Ian stared wide eyed at his younger. He had trusted her and in return expected his property back. If she didn't have it there was no reason to tell her anything.

"What?!" Ian got up into a crouch, that meant that his computer could be anywhere.

xxx

Jackie's Point of View:

"Your not going to solve anything by just looking at it." Jackie told her older brother. John had come to her for help with a riddle. It was laughable, but a nice turn of events.

"Well you're not much help are you?" John replied snappily.

Jackie inwardly smiled, "Read it again."

John sighed at her order but did as she asked. Jackie liked having the advantage but she knew that it was to be short lived.

"_Run, you cannot,_

_yet you outstrip everyone in a race,_

_bested by a shelled creature_

_fabled and famous you are_

_three tries you have_

_to guess who you are."_

"Possibly a cow?" suggested John and Jackie had to stifle a laugh. She sobered up with John's glare. He was coming to her for advice and help; it was really a once in a life time opportunity.

"John think, this is all logic, think like Lewis Carol, think like a logician, it can't run, it can hop, it's famous and it was beat by some shelled animal. Think of some fables."

John sat down on the sofa. It was a wonder that no one else had been woken by the sound of their shuffling. "How about a rabbit?"

Jackie was surprised, John had a good possibility; a rabbit beat the tortoise, who is a shelled creature, it is fast, it can't run. It is also famous and in a fable. John might be right. She looked to John and meet his eyes; he was seeking reassurance. If they where wrong, they only had two tries left and Ian had enough knowledge on technology to expose them both with some type of trick or electronic trap. He could have easily programmed the computer to lock them out with out getting the riddle right. But this was their best shot at a correct answer.

"What are you waiting for, type it in!"

"Alright, alright, I'm typing."

He paused before punching in the letters into the slim keyboard. Only a second had passed before red flashed across the screen.

"ACCESS DENIED"

Jackie almost jumped out of her skin. But it faded as soon as it had appeared. Now some of the old riddle had disappeared and other words replaced the statement to read, "Two tries you have".

"Well that back fired." John stated.

"Yeah, no duh John." Jackie couldn't help but retort. He was getting on her nerves. "Maybe try a different word that means the same thing?"

"What like hare or bunny?" John asked skeptically

"Do it, we don't have any other ideas."

John seemed to grimace as he typed as if expecting another reject, but instead the computer clicked and opened up. Jackie gasped when she saw the opened tab.

* * *

**Alright, I see in other fan-fictions that some people beg, BEG for reviews, I hope that I don't because its really annoying.**

**"They met at ****Wimbledon" supplied by amazingakita, to add on to that, Alex was also a ball boy.**

**Everyone else was also correct! {Blonde Dude 42; redandwhitetigers}**

**Replies for some reviews:**

**Farmers Daughter: I hope that this chapter had more description, god bless you too!**

**Alright, and now some answers to some questions that I want to address:**

**1) Why won't you update sooner?  
****Answer: My excuse is that I have other stuff to do as well other than writing, so I'll only be able to update one or two times a month :)**

**2) Will Lanie be a big part of the story, she's too young to really do much.  
Answer: Lanie will have a part to play, and it will eventually make sense.**

**3) Ian is only 16, he shouldn't be able to do any of that, he could have never had gone that far, its unrealistic.  
Answer: Ian cannot and is not any sort of**** prodigy; he is only talented in that field of work. He can only get past low security [which is a great feat with in its self.] And never high. He can only get to, as I said, VERY LOW access to what any common police officer would ever be able to se, for example, in Point Blank, the police officers looked Alex up.**

**I feel like my time at fanfiction really helped me. My writing is a lot, better than it was and has changed so much.**

**This was a long chapter in my own opinion so I would love some feedback. Probably my longest by far :D**

**Question of the chapter (more of a poll really): What do you think of the story/story's progression/pace so far?**


	14. returned messages, anger and agent Rider

**As I said before, I'm picking up the pace. Also from her on in I am no longer going to do the Point of Views on order. Now it's just what fits the story best.**

**All review responses are at the bottom along with some answers that I want to address. :)**

**Always Writing,**

**~Rrit**

**Disclaimer: I own none of this and do not make any type of profit from writing here. And honestly if I wanted to profit from this it wouldn't be on fanfic.**

* * *

Lanie's Point of View:

Everything is weird. Everybody's being so mean. They keep saying that it's nothing but Lanie know that it isn't. The mood doesn't match the calm walls. They had left the Williams only last night and were still settling back in. Before they left, Lanie was sure that Ryan took a bit too long to say bye to Helen and Lanie hoped that they would get married one day. It was also safe to say, that Lanie HATED planes. They were horrible evil things. But that was over, now they were home. Though it was not, by any means any less chaotic.

_Super Lanie is in her hideout, spying on the dueling foursome. The evil Jack has abandoned her partner in annoying crime for Super Johnny, who now goes by the laptop thief. It's an epic fight._

"Give it back John, I know you have it!"

John slapped away Ian's accusatory hand with a stoic face. "Look, Ian get this straight, I don't have your precious computer!"

_Super John is angry. Super Lanie watched as Super John gained the title of laptop thief. Super Ian claiming that he has Super Ian's precious smart-ness metal._

"Guy's stop it!" Helen cries out in vain, She is the only one with or attempting to keep a cool head.

_Princess Hela tries to stop the two nemesis' but it is no use. The two enemies face off Joined by Jack._

"Back off Helen! We don't have it!" Jackie growls; Jackie was more of a fighter so she couldn't but step in.

_But Jack is stubborn and doesn't give in. The fight turns dirty when Jack pushes The Princess Hela onto the floor_

"Yes you do! You got the password wrong!" Helen shouts in a high pitched voice as she fell back missing the couch. Landing on the hard floor. As Jackie glares her down. Helen stands too but makes no move to revenge herself and rebound on Jackie.

_Princess Hela is stong and stubborn too and gets up. Princess Hela is too nice to push people. Even after that act of backstabbing and mean-ness Princess Hela is still nice. But now she is angry._

"So wh- No we didn't!" Jackie holds on to her cause.

"Yes, you did! You set off the tracker in the computer when you got it wrong!" Helen has her lips pursed in a thin line.

_Jack is cornered, Super Lanie can sense it but Super Lanie couldn't take much more of it. She had to revel herself. Super Lanie flings open the door of her hide out and everything stops. Super Lanie makes time stop. Everything gets quiet. Princess Hela looks ashamed but Laptop thief, Jack and Super Ian don't._

"What are you doing Lane?"

Everything seems to stop. John and Ian get off the floor, the two and Jackie are still holding pillows as they stand. By the way John clutches his the stuffing seems to have evacuated his grip and culminated on the other end. The same situation for Jackie and Ian, who's knuckles where white. They were all panting. Including Helen who seemed to, during the fight edged around the three. Giving out advice and attempting, unsuccessfully to stop the fight.

_Princess Hela calls Super Lanie by one of her super secret identity names. Super Lanie wishes that Hela wouldn't revel them to the others but it's too late. They already heard. Princess Hela just doesn't realize Super Lanie's noble cause._

"What's going on?" Lanie stared all of her siblings down, Why where they all so angry? It was only then that Lanie noticed that Ian was holding a pillow tightly in his hand and John a small stuffed animal. Jack held a large foam sward. Helen was unarmed.

_Super Lanie saw the three poised for battle. Princess Hela came unprepared for the fight. she wanted to talk it out._

"Nothing, go upstairs and play with Aiden. I hear that he's gotten to level nine in 'Uther'"

"Taking down the Kingdom, Uther edition." Jackie corrects emphasizing the rest of the game title.

_It was funny to Super Lanie how the siblings were ready to fight yet answered as one voice. Left with only one choice, Super Lanie retreated and played cards with Aidana. Who wasn't so evil anymore. Now Aidana was just Aiden the Normal because her was normal and didn't tell her 'nothing'. Aiden the Normal was, like Super Lanie suspicious too._

**xxx**

_Super Lanie had done much spying and the results were bad. Everyone was mad so Super Lanie now Agent Rider due to her new found sneaking abilities. She had to go to her trusted source. Agent T._

"So what happened that caused the destruction of my living room?" Tom questioned the young girl.

He had come down the stairs to find his living room in shambles. Lanie had appeared out of nowhere requesting to talk. The other kids where nowhere to be found.

_Agent T racks Agent Rider for answers. He wants to know who blew up his headquarters._

"Well laptop thief... John," Tom raises an eyebrow at Lanie's slip. "Stole Ian's laptop... or so Princess He... Helen and Ian think. Jackie is in Johns league too."

_Agent Rider couldn't help but reveal the plan to Agent T. He was trustworthy._

"Lanie, Why does Ian think that John has his computer and why is it so important?"

_Agent T gets very serious so Agent Rider matches his expression and replies steely._

Lanie puffs up her cheeks and straightens her back, eliminating the arch. She knew a lot more then everyone gave her credit for. "Ian's being bad. He is getting into secret stuff and Helen's helping him. John and Jackie are being mean too because they took Ian's computer."

"Lanie what's 'secret stuff'?" Tom asked slowly and Lanie beckoned him closer.

"Secret permanent record stuff. Secret files stuff!" Lanie had a glint in her eye, the one that signals her excitement.

_Agent T waves Agent Rider out of his blown up headquarters to think. Agent Rider complies; Agent T smiles and bounces off, like how she used too but now its secret, sneaky and quieter. Super Lanie is now forever Agent Rider... until further notice and adventure._

_Agent Rider melts into the shadows, always observing to report to __Headquarters with new news. Why? Because she's Agent Rider. Spy extraordinaire._

The world seems to slow down, Tom sat back resting his head in pillow. What was he thinking by taking in these kids? Lanie was too much like Alex. A younger, girl version of Alex. So innocent, just like Alex. It tore at Tom to see the girl grow up in the small stretch of time that he had so far with her.

From now on he and Lanie were a team. Working together just like he and Alex did.

**xxx**

Jackie's Point of View:

"Guys, Common, we all want the same thing, a common goal!" Helen cries standing in a feeble stance blocking her from Ian. "We should be working together!"

Jackie couldn't help it, she laughed. Her sister, Miss Perfect, straight A student, wanted to suggest an alliance of the two alliances. By the look on John and Ian's faces they were thinking along the same lines.

"We all want to know what's up with Dad, we all want to figure out whats going on!" Helen's breathing hitched and came out in short pants. She had never been athletic or very well physically and this proved it. Helen's faults caused a bit, a BIT of Jackie to pity her sister. "But we will never be able to do that by fighting."

Jackie looked to her brothers. John dropped the pillow and Ian followed. Maybe it was Lanie's appearance that had softened them all up.

Lanie's appearance had been unexpected to say the least. If Jackie had not been on the receiving end she would have full out applauded her younger sister. But she didn't- she was too surprised. The fact that Lanie had just witnessed their huge out break was staggering.

"Jackie..." John motioned to her pillow still in her hand.

She didn't even notice it before he pointed it out. It fell, too, to the floor.

"Okay, now our first objective would be to..." Helen didn't even get to finish her sentence because John's phone beeped. If only John's phone _only_ beeped. No, John's phone made popping sounds too obnoxious to put into words, turning into gurgling that transformed int some man sinning opera. The noise was loud, really loud, and even Helen's voice was no match for.

"It's Wolf!" John looked surprised. "He returned my call!"

* * *

**A/N:**

**To answer some questions:**

**1) Why did you start signing 'Rrit'?/ Answer: I've actually been just waiting for someone to ask me that. Rrit, if you sound it out [WR-it] it sounds like write in the pass tense, so it's a bit of a play on words. I decided that I needed something like it and it make's sense to me and hopefully you to if you get it. :)**

**2) What about Ryan, Alexandra and Nick? Are they just side characters or will they actually be doing some thing and what?/ Answer: Well, I can't tell you much but they will have a substantial part not key parts but they will be used.**

**3) Who is Mrs. Willians?/ Answer: I really hoped that you all figured that one out by your self.**

**4) Did I make any changes?/ Yes, I revised a bit but I only got to the second chapter.**

**Thanks for reading, any suggestions, comments, please leave them in a PM or review :)**

**out of a scale from 1-10 how was it?**

**-Rrit**


	15. Spying, Secret Spies and Doctor Who

**A/N: All review responses are at the bottom along with some answers that I want to address. :) Also I'm looking for a good show to watch, I'm into crime drama sort of things and a bit of syfi. If you have any suggestions tell me even if you think I've seen it because I probably haven't. Same with fanfiction, I'm always looking for decent fanfiction to read.**

**Disclaimer: I own none of this and do not make any type of profit from writing here. And honestly if I wanted to profit from this it wouldn't be on fanfic.**

**Sorry about the wait, here you go…**

**Always Writing,**

**~Rrit**

* * *

Chapter 15

Aiden's Point of view:

Aiden was in stealth mode. Dressed in full fledged ninja black suit, he crawled through the gap in the fence and to the window of the girls room to look for evidence. There was something up with Helen, and Aiden was suspicious. It was either Nick or Ryan, one of them.

His services had been commissioned by Lanie. Darn that kid was scary; crazed more like it. Demanding that he figure out if 'The Royal Majesty Hela was courting Sir Ryan or Prince Nick.' That was one messed up kid.

She had even called him 'Aidena'- who in their sane mind does that! Aiden climbed over a clump of prickle bushes and shrubs to get to the wall. He was lucky that there was an old knotted tree under the window or else he would have had no way up.

Aiden approached the tree as one would approach a lion. Once he was up there, there would be no coming down.

Already regretting accepting the mission, Aiden started to climb the tree. Carefully placing his foot and fingers through impossibly small crevices to hold himself steady. This tree, in all Aiden's years had never been climbed by him and judging by the quality of the bark no one else had attempted.

Pity, it looked like a good climbing tree, the one flaw being that it wasn't broken in yet. Low placed branches and limbs, a sturdy base. It was the ideal climbing tree.

He was reaching the edge of the tree, the branches thinned to sticks and those to twigs. The trunk too, thinned and Aiden found himself swaying in the hot summer breeze atop a tall, old tree.

This was not where Aiden expected himself to be on his Saturday night. Shivers rushed up his arms. Aiden had never had any particular fears but he suddenly realized how far away the ground was. _Really far._ Too far for his liking.

He weighed his options. He could call for help, but then he would have to explain what he was doing up in a tree, which he could lie about but getting caught in a tree needing some to get him down was bad. And then they would think that he didn't think before he did anything and that he was a coward for not being able to climb out of a tree.

Then again, if he tried to get down by himself there was the real possibility that he would slip and that too would be bad. Both those options were undesirable.

He gave a little weight up to test the sturdiness. It felt secure but there is a large difference between a couple pounds and a hundred (give or take).

His only option was to jump hand pray that the ledge would hold.

This had to be the stupidest thing that he had ever done. His position brought him back to an old memory. 'Leap of faith' his dance teacher had told him. That was what he needed now.

_"Aiden, your very accomplished at seven, and I think that it's time for you to progress. Here is the beginning of the new routine that we're doing."_

_Young Aiden was a unique boy. He had been taking dance lessons for a while. He looked up at his extraordinarily tall teacher; she had been teaching him for only a while, so what did she mean._

_"See this odd contraption. I know it looks like rubbish but it'll be the next big thing and I would love for you to be my first subject. It's perfectly safe I promise."_

_They were alone, Aiden had taken the choice of private lessons. He would become the laughing stock of his grade level if any one knew. Aiden liked dance though, it was fun. And Mrs. Gollum had a pretty smile, one that made crow's feet appear at the corners of her eyes and agitating her smile wrinkles. She smiled at him and he melted. He had to please her._

_"Here you are, I'm going to attach this rope to you on the harness on the pulley. You'll be perfectly safe."_

_She patted his cheek and started to get to work getting all the heavy stuff onto him. At long last he was climbing up a steep metal latter. It was hard. He kept trembling Aiden didn't know whether it was him or the unsteady ladder, most likely a combination of both._

_"Aiden?" Mrs. Gullom's voice seemed to quiver, "Over here Dear, slowly now. Just a little jump, nothing more."_

_Mrs. Gullom had climbed up as well but she didn't have a harness, she too was trembling from her spot across a gap._

_"A...a. leap of faith, have faith and jump Aiden and it'll all be okay, we'll both be off this horrid thing. C'mon, please Aiden!"_

_Aiden swallowed, braced to leap but stopped. He couldn't do it. It was too far, there was no way that he could cross the gap. there was no way that he possibly could. Mrs. Gullom seemed to sense his dilemma "Alright, okay, I understand your scared so am I but we have to do it, we have to jump to get down." Aiden watched in wonder, Mrs. Gullom seemed to shrink in size, her muscles tensing. What was she going to do?_

_All those thoughts happened microseconds before Aiden was pulled down by an unknown weight Mrs. Gullom. Aiden could see it, that's why she had tensed, she was going to him._

_Those were Aiden's last thoughts before he blacked out. His parents had announced that he had hit his head but Mrs. Gullom had been injured severly. He never saw her again._

Thinking back on it Aiden was sure that 'injured severly' meant death but when ever he asked he was always assured that it was not. A strong summer breeze jerked him back to reality. It wasn't too strong and only ruffled his clothes but it was enough to alarm him. He was practically in the same position. Leap of faith.

Aiden braced his legs as he had done nine years ago, and jumped.

His feet left the tree's rough bark and found their way to the window. But missed. Aiden's hands grappled at the edge of the window. It was almost a scene from a movie.

His feet and legs spazzed trying to find footholds. It was an open window, how hard was that to miss! Now he was a story give or take from the ground. Aiden dared look down and immediately wished he hadn't. It was dizzyingly far from the ground. He was going to die. He was going to die and his family were going find his body.

Aiden found it considerably hard to keep hold. All those people on the telly made it look so easy, clinging to life on a cliff, but it really wasn't. Here was the proof. All those people were frauds that had amazing upper body strength. Strength that Aiden didn't have and probably never would.

Then his foot connected with something hard, thin. and a bit unstable. A vine. That was all he needed. New-found energy surged through Aiden; he was going to live. Taking advantage of the adrenalin the boy pushed himself up a little higher to the ledge. Like an inch worm Aiden made his way (slowly) up the wall using the vine.

He was almost there and so close. He shifted his weight to his right foot as he hooked his left into a small opening near the window. He was safe. Aiden was almost about to enter through when he heard voices. Freezing in his spot Aiden sucked in his breath.

"Look, your all crazy!" Oh, that blessed voice of Helen sounded clear through the window. Heck, Aiden was sure that the whole block had heard her.

"No! You look at the facts Hela! Dad was a SPY! Like James Bond! Wolf even said so!"

"No he did not. He said that Dad worked with the government on a lesser known division! And don't call me Hela."

"Guys! Stop fighting, we don't even know if that's true. Let's just take a step back and see what we're dealing with." Aiden strained his ears, was that John... John Rider trying to make peace?

Aiden forgot about stealth and leaned through the window a bit more to hear better.

"So we know he worked with the government, let's go about this rationally, Wolf said that I won't be able to hack anymore, I've already raised some flags. Lets work on Tom, he has to know something."

Aiden tried to lean in closer but he went too far. Tumbling into the room with all eyes on him. The only thing that he could say to all the accusing glares was, "Your dad's a spy! Cool!" and offer his ninja services.

XXX

"Alright, cool, calm and collected. Got that." John reminded Aiden for about the tenth time.

"Be subtle." Added Ian sharply, he had still not gotten over how he had eavesdropped on the foursome.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine," Helen comforted but to no avail, Aiden was a wreck, sweaty palms, nervous, and defiantly not fine.

"He's going to muck it up." Jackie stated unhelpfully.

And with those parting words they pushed him out into the living room prey to his telly-watching, popcorn eating, dad.

"Hey Dad, what are you doing?" Aiden wanted to swallow himself whole, that way it would be physically impossible for him to speak, there for not mess up.

Tom raised an eyebrow, "Watching Doctor Who, how bout you?"

"Oh, I'm doing fine, hey you know your friend Alex... The Rider's dad..." Tom seemed to resist eye rolling and Aiden felt like he was sinking, of course he knew the Rider's Dad, why else would the Riders be at their house? "Well... was-he-a-secret-agent." He said it and it was far from subtle.

His father sighed, and motioned to the closet. "Tell them to come out." apparently they heard and all tumbled out. Aiden had no relaying to do. "He picked up all the teens and lead them all to his office. Behind them he bolted the door and offered them a seat and some tea.

"Let me tell you the story of a very close friend of mine. The story of Alex Rider, Britain's best kept secret. _When the doorbell rings at three in the morning, it's never good news. Alex Rider was woken by the first chime."_

* * *

**A/N as you can see the last sentence in bold is the first line of Anthony Horowitz's Stormbreaker. I put it in italics it just to state that I'm not trying to plagiarise etc.**

**Question of the chapter: How do Tom and Alex meet?**

**Thank you to my beta: Fate's Silver Chain because I know I'm a lazy slob and it can't be easy making my work readable by a human mind.**

**Thank you for reading and please review :)**

**Always Writing**

**-Rrit**

**I estimate that there will only be a couple more chapters till this story will come to a close. Say two to four, even five. :)**


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